July 26, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 16391 resolution; which was referred to the (4) the Red Shield of David should be ac- have maintained ‘‘excellent working Committee on Foreign Relations: corded the same recognition under inter- relations’’ with the MDA for decades. national law as the Red Cross and the Red S. RES. 343 The existing Protocols of the Geneva Crescent. Whereas ’s Magen David Adom Soci- Conventions provide for two different ety has since 1930 provided emergency relief Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, uses of the Movement emblem: ‘‘pro- to people in many countries in times of need, today I am introducing a resolution ex- tective,’’ whcih is used for protective pain, and suffering, regardless of nationality pressing the sense of the Senate that purposes in armed conflicts and re- or religious affiliation; the International Red Cross and Red quires the use of a single unique em- Whereas in the past year alone, the Magen Crescent Movement should recognize David Adom Society has provided invaluable blem, and ‘‘indicative,’’ which is used humanitarian services in Kosovo, Indonesia, and admit to full membership Israel’s for identification purposes in non-con- Ethiopia, and Eritrea, as well as Greece and Magen David Adom Society with its flict circumstances, and therefore al- in the wake of the earthquakes that emblem, the Red Shield of David. I lows for the existence of several em- devastated these countries; thank Senators LIEBERMAN, HAGEL, blems. Currently, negotiations are un- Whereas the has rec- HELMS, and LUGAR for joining me as derway to add a possible third Protocol ognized the superb and invaluable work done original cosponsors of this important to the to create a by the Magen David Adom Society and con- resolution. new neutral emblem and allow for siders the exclusion of the Magen David Adom Society from the International Red The International Red Cross and Red MDA recognition with its emblem. Cross and Red Crescent Movement ‘‘an injus- Crescent Movement is the largest hu- However, before these negotiations can tice of the highest order’’; manitarian network in the world. The translate into formal recognition, sig- Whereas the American Red Cross has re- Movement has many components, in- nificant procedural hudles must be peatedly urged that the International Red cluding the International Committee overcome, including super-majority Cross and Red Crescent Movement recognize of the Red Cross (the ICRC—the Swiss- votes of three bodies and ratification the Magen David Adom Society as a full based founding institution of the Move- by member nations that could take member, with its emblem; Whereas the Magen David Adom Society ment that serves as a neutral inter- years. Meanwhile, the American Red utilizes the Red Shield of David as its em- mediary in armed conflict areas) and Cross has been pursuing other ap- blem, in similar fashion to the utilization of the International Federation of Red proaches that would allow for the rec- the Red Cross and Red Crescent by other na- Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the ognition of MDA and its emblem with- tional societies; Federation, which groups together the out the introduction of a third Pro- Whereas the Red Cross and the Red Cres- Movement’s 176 recognized national so- tocol. cent have been recognized as protective em- The resolution I am introducing blems under the Statutes of the Inter- cieties and coordinates international disaster relief and refugee assistance in today would help facilitate the negoti- national Red Cross and Red Crescent Move- ating process by putting the Senate on ment; non-conflict areas). Whereas the International Committee of The Red Shield of David has been in record in support of MDA recognition the Red Cross has ignored previous requests use and recognized de facto since 1930 at a critical time in these negotiations. from the United States Congress to recognize as the distinctive emblem of the med- The House of Representatives passed a the Magen David Adom Society; ical and first aid services of the Jewish similar resolution on May 3, 2000. The Whereas the Statutes of the International Senate, however, last announced its Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement state population in Palestine and, after 1948, the state of Israel. Israel signed the Ge- support of recognition of MDA and its that it ‘‘makes no discrimination as to na- emblem over 12 years ago. tionality, race, religious beliefs, class or po- neva Conventions in 1949. The new litical opinions,’’ and it ‘‘may not take sides state of Israel therefore attempted to Over the last six years, the United in hostilities or engage at any time in con- have the Red Shield of David recog- States Government has provided the troversies of a political, racial, religious or nized in the Geneva Conventions as an ICRC and the Federation with $713 mil- ideological nature’’; alternative to the red cross, the red lion. Once again, the United States Whereas although similar national organi- Senate should urge the International zations of Iraq, North Korea, and Afghani- crescent, and the red lion and sun. In a secret ballot, however, Israel’s request Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement stan are recognized as full members of the to recognize the Red Shield of David was rejected, 22 to 21. The end result International Red Cross and Red Crescent emblem and admit MDA for full mem- Movement, the Magen David Adom Society was that Israel’s equivalent of the Red bership in the Movement. has been denied membership since 1949; Cross, Magen David Adom (MDA), was I urge my colleagues to support this Whereas in the six fiscal years 1994 through relegated to non-voting observer status resolution to encourage the Inter- 1999, the United States Government provided and thereby effectively excluded from a total of $631,000,000 to the International national Red Cross and Red Crescent the Movement. Committee of the Red Cross and $82,000,000 to Movement to recognize Israel’s Magen In rejecting the Red Shield of David, the International Federation of Red Cross David Adom society and its emblem, and excluding Israel’s national society and Red Crescent Societies; and the Red Shield of David. Whereas in fiscal year 1999 alone, the from the Movement, the 1949 diplo- United States Government provided matic convention established the prin- f $119,500,000 to the International Committee ciple that only those already using an SENATE RESOLUTION 344—EX- of the Red Cross and $7,300,000 to the Inter- exceptional sign—that is, a non-Red PRESSING THE SENSE OF THE national Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross emblem—had the right to con- SENATE THAT THE PROPOSED Crescent Societies: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That— tinue using it. All new national soci- MERGER OF UNITED AIRLINES (1) the International Committee on the eties would have to adopt the Red AND U.S. AIRWAYS IS INCON- Red Cross should immediately recognize the Cross. However, the admission of 25 SISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC IN- Magen David Adom Society and the Magen new Red Crescent societies since 1949 TEREST AND PUBLIC CONVEN- David Adom Society should be granted full demonstrates the inconsistency with IENCE AND NECESSITY POLICY membership in the International Red Cross which this principle has been applied. SET FORTH IN SECTION 40101 OF and Red Crescent Movement; (2) the International Federation of Red Despite MDA’s exclusion from the TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE Cross and Red Crescent Societies should Movement, it has continuously played Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. grant full membership to the Magen David an active role in disaster assistance GORTON) submitted the following reso- Adom Society immediately following rec- worldwide, recently helping to rescue lution; which was referred to the Com- ognition by the International Committee of trapped civilians following the 1999 mittee on Commerce, Science, and the Red Cross of the Magen David Adom So- earthquakes in Turkey and Greece. Transportation: ciety; Israeli medical teams were also among (3) the Magen David Adom Society should S. RES. 344 not be required to give up or diminish its use the first to assist victims of severe Whereas, in 1999 the 6 largest hub-and- of its emblem as a condition for immediate flooding in Mozambique this year. spoke airlines in the United States ac- and full membership in the International ICRC officials have praised MDA for its counted for nearly 80 percent of the revenue Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; and ‘‘life-saving work’’ and report they passenger miles flown by domestic airlines,

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