Too Long But Not Too Late

News on the Magen David Adom site (www.afmda.org/ , June 22 2006):

In a historic moment, American Friends of Magen David Adom (www.afmda.org) are proud to announce the admittance of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s first-aid and disaster relief organization, into the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Society… The MDA has been working side by side with the International Red Cross for years, responding … to global disasters like that of Katrina last year on the US Gulf Coast and Tsunami relief in Southeast Asia. MDA responds to 600,000 calls a year throughout the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Magen David Adom is committed to its continuing work with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to save lives in both Israel and in the Palestinian Territory. Israel’s MDA experts have trained numerous members of the International Red Cross as well as the Palestinian Red Crescent … Israel has been able and willing to participate in vital international relief missions coordinated by the International Red Cross to countries such as India, Turkey, and the United States.

As a previous MDA volunteer, I am delighted over this news (see: http://natalieshaer.blogspot.com/2006/04/reality-hits-home-as-home-pays-visit.html ). Acknowledgement by the Red Cross was unjustifiably long-awaited, and MDA can finally receive the global recognition it has always deserved.

See blog: http://www.onejerusalem.com/2006/06/24/magen-david-adom-final-admittance-into-the-international-health-care-federation/