The American Red Cross (ARC) has pledged to continue efforts to help Israel’s Magen David Adorn receive official international recognition, according to Rabbi Rubin Dobin, chairman of Operation Recognition which has been campaigning for this.
The pledge was made at a luncheon here this week at which George Elsey, who is retiring after 12 years as president of the ARC, received the International Humanitarian Award of the American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI). The award was presented by ARMDI chairman Joseph Handleman.
Dobin said Richard Schubert, who is the incoming president of the ARC, said he will continue Elsey’s efforts to get the Magen David Adorn recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies. The Geneva-based groups do not recognize the Mogen David emblem while they do recognize the Red Crescent of the Moslem countries.
The ARC recognizes the “bigotry” of the two international groups against Israel and the “blackmail” that is being used by the 21 Arab members of the two international groups, Dobin said. He said the ARC was the first national Red Cross body to unilaterally recognize Magen David Adorn and their action has been followed by 21 other national Red Cross bodies. But Dobin stressed this is not the same as recognition by the two international groups.
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