MK Eldad: Stop Donating to Magen David Adom

Elad Benari
MK Eldad: Stop Donating to MDA IsraelNationalNews.Com 6 Dec 2011


MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) is calling on individuals who donate to the Magen David Adom first aid organization to stop doing so.

Eldad’s call comes in light of the recent exposure of the “Memorandum of Understanding between Magen David Adom in Israel and Palestine Red Crescent Society.”

The memorandum, which was signed in 2005 and a copy of which reached Arutz Sheva recently, includes having Israel called an “occupier” and agrees that “internationally recognized borders” are the line of demarcation for Red Crescent chapters rather than those of Red Magen David.

The memorandum reveals that Magen David Adom promised the International Red Cross that it would not operate in Judea and Samaria. This is because the memorandum states that “internationally recognized borders” are the line of demarcation for Red Crescent chapters rather than those of Magen David Adom The agreement also scraps Israel’s red Star of David, which is on all of its ambulances, and replaces it with a red crystal.

“Magen David Adom has decided to stop purchases of ambulances in Judea and Samaria, took down the organization’s symbols from ambulances operating in this area and decided that Magen David Adom employees working in Judea and Samaria will not wear the organization’s uniform,” Eldad wrote on his Facebook page. “All these actions were taken as surrender to the demands of the Palestine Red Crescent Society and as a condition to Magen David Adom joining the International Red Cross.”

“Magen David Adom’s explanations that removing the red Stars of David pertains to the ambulances in all the local councils are nothing but words which hide its cowardly capitulation to Arab demands, backed by the International Red Cross,” he added. “Being a member of the International Red Cross gives Israel a few dollars a year but mainly gives prestige and honor to MDA’s leaders who go from convention to convention.”

Finally he wrote, “I call on all donors to MDA to immediately cease their contributions to the organization, inform the MDA of this, and direct their donations directly to the blood banks of different hospitals, to rescue organizations and to various primary health care organizations which continue to operate with pride in Judea and Samaria, or directly to local councils and municipalities that operate ambulances and no longer receive assistance from MDA.”

The story came to light about three months ago, when community leaders in Judea and Samaria reported that Magen David Adom had said it would remove its trademark red Star of David symbol from ambulances used in Israeli towns east of the 1949 armistice line.

A compromise was later reached, according to which the Stars of David would first be taken off ambulances in other parts of the country and only then in Judea and Samaria.

Magen David Adom volunteers in Judea and Samaria later took action against the decision to remove the red Stars of David and had the symbols re-painted on the ambulances in Judea and Samaria.

Magen David Adom recently responded to Arutz Sheva’s exposure of the Memorandum of Understanding, and clarified that the organization “works regularly and without any change in all parts of Judea and Samaria with the organization’s symbol as it was up to now.”