A Cross, a Crescent and a Crystal

So, belief brings people together?

In Geneva diplomats from the 192 countries which have signed the Geneva conventions are meeting to discuss a third emblem for the international Red Cross.
Red Cross officials hope approval of a third emblem will finally put an end to decades of controversy over the issue.
At the moment, the only two emblems recognised under the Geneva conventions are the red cross and the red crescent; relief workers and ambulances bearing these symbols are protected under international law.
In war zones or disaster regions, they must be granted free access to people in need of help.
Over the years, a number of countries have applied to have their own distinctive emblems recognised, but all have been refused. Francois Bugnion, director of international law with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), believes too many emblems could compromise protection.
“Hundreds of emblems would mean they would not be recognised, and so they would not be respected”, he explains.
“They would be identified with different countries, so instead of conveying the message ‘this is an ambulance, this is neutral and must be respected’, it would be a sign of identification which would run against the objective of the protective symbol.”
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One country in particular, however, refuses to use either the red cross or the red crescent.
Israel’s Magen David Adom Society (MDA) uses the unrecognised red star of David as its emblem. As a result, the society is still not a member of the international Red Cross movement, something which many Israelis see as unjust.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Itzhak Levanon, shares that opinion.
“MDA is active all over the world,” he points out. “In the tsunami, for example, or following earthquakes, we are often first on the scene, and we deserve to be part of the international movement.”
The problem is, the star of David is primarily Israel’s national symbol, rather than an emblem of humanitarian relief.
Arab states have made it clear they will never accept the red star being recognised under the Geneva Conventions.
At the same time, the conventions stipulate that national relief societies must use only recognised symbols outside their internationally accepted borders.
That means Israel should probably not be using the red star in the occupied territories.
The wrangling over the issue has gone on for decades, and it is proving costly for the International Red Cross.
For the last five years, the American Red Cross has withheld its subscriptions to the international movement in protest at Israel’s exclusion, creating a shortfall of over $30m.
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