Additional Emblem

Magen David Adom welcomes adoption of additional emblem

Magen David Adom in Israel (MDA) welcomes the decision of the Diplomatic Conference of countries signatory to the 1949 Geneva Conventions (Geneva, 5-7 December 2005) to adopt a Third Additional Protocol to those Conventions.

The Third Additional Protocol establishes a new emblem - the red crystal - which will take its place alongside the existing Geneva Conventions emblems of the red cross and red crescent. The new emblem will have the same status as the red cross and red crescent and this will provide an additional protective emblem for use in contexts where the red cross or the red crescent may not be best suited to assuring protection for humanitarian workers. It will also enable countries and national societies which have difficulties with either of these emblems to use the new emblem, the red crystal.

For over 50 years, MDA has not been able to be a full member of the International Red Cross Movement because it was unable to use either the red cross or the red crescent, the protective emblems established by the Geneva Conventions.

Adoption of the new emblem paves the way for MDA's recognition as a national society by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and admission by the General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation). The next step to achieve this is the holding of an International Red Cross Conference to amend the Statutes of the International Red Cross Movement to take account of the new emblem. The International Red Cross Conference (which brings together governments and the International Red Cross Movement) has already been convened, and will take place in Geneva in June 2006.

MDA will continue to work with the ICRC and the Federation, including the ICRC and Federation delegations in Tel Aviv, so that it is ready to join the Movement once the necessary amendments to the Movement's Statutes have been made.

MDA stresses that it will not be relinquishing its existing emblem - the Red Shield of David - which it has used since establishment of the national life-saving society in 1930. MDA workers and volunteers are proud of MDA's emblem and will continue to wear it with pride within Israel. In order to work in humanitarian relief operations outside Israel, MDA, like any other national society must, in accordance with the rules and spirit of the Movement, seek the consent of the host national society. On relief missions abroad, with the consent of the host society, MDA will use the Red Shield of David inside the red crystal or the crystal alone if this would provide better protection for MDA's humanitarian mission.

At the Diplomatic Conference, MDA's Chairman, Dr Noam Yifrach, expressed his thanks to the many States and individuals, as well as the ICRC, the Federation and the national societies, who worked so hard to make adoption of the Third Additional Protocol possible. Speaking about the adoption of the Third Additional Protocol and the new emblem after the successful vote at the Diplomatic Conference, Dr Yifrach said: "We are happy. It will give us more protection, meaning we will be able to take more risks to help more people. This new emblem will protect and defend us as we carry out our work to save lives."