Israeli, Palestinian relief groups join Red Cross

Geneva, June 22 : The Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian movement extended membership today to the Israeli and Palestinian relief organisations.

The decision ended a nearly 60-year struggle for accession by Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) and approved entry for the Palestine Red Crescent despite it not being linked to a sovereign state.

Two politically-charged days of talks spilled early today, when delegates agreed to admit both agencies in what conference chairman Mohammed Al Hadid of Jordan called an historic decision.

It should help engender better cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian relief services and ensure more universal access to those needing help from the international relief network, the world's largest, Al Hadid told reporters.

The Geneva Convention's 192 signatory states and 183 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies decided in a rare vote to approve a new red crystal emblem for use by the Jewish state's MDA, which had objected to the cross and crescent as symbols of Christianity and Islam.

The neutral, diamond-shaped symbol could also be used where it would improve access to victims or reduce risks for aid workers, Al Hadid said.

''This is an historic moment ... We urge all governments to respect the red crystal in addition to the red cross and red crescent,'' Al Hadid said.

OBJECTIONS US

State Department Legal Adviser John Bellinger said the United States was delighted with the outcome, which had met resistance from some Muslim countries opposing the Israeli group's admission. ''It has been a long and difficult process,'' Bellinger told Reuters after the proceedings, which many had hoped would end in consensus after a hard-fought diplomatic conference in December cleared the way for the groups' entry.

Despite legal and procedural complaints from representatives of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and a proposed amendment from Pakistan and Tunisia seeking to add wording on territory seen as unacceptable to Israel, the resolution passed with more than the required two-thirds majority.

Some 237 states and societies voted to change the agency's statutes and add the red crystal symbol, 54 voted against, and 18 abstained, officials said. The Israeli and Palestinian groups were then admitted to the network by acclamation.

The Swiss-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the new emblem would provide additional protection to war victims and humanitarian workers in conflict situations where the red cross or crescent could not be used.

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, who chairs the board of the American Red Cross, said her organisation would repay about 45 million dollar in dues withheld from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies over concerns about the MDA's exclusion.

She said the American Red Cross would present 24 million dollar today and pay the balance ''within an agreed upon time frame,'' which has not yet been determined.

Reuters