[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 464 Introduced in House (IH)]






104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 464

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the 
 recognition of the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David) as a symbol 
       of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 1996

 Mr. Frank of Massachusetts submitted the following resolution; which 
        was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the 
 recognition of the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David) as a symbol 
       of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Whereas it is the mission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent 
        Movement to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without 
        discrimination, wherever it may be found;
Whereas the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a worldwide 
        institution in which all National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 
        have equal status and share equal responsibilities;
Whereas the State of Israel has ratified the Geneva Conventions which govern the 
        International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement;
Whereas the Magen David Adom is the national humanitarian society in the State 
        of Israel;
Whereas the Magen David Adom Society follows all the principles of the 
        International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement;
Whereas the Magen David Adom Society is excluded from full membership in the 
        International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 
        solely because the Magen David Adom is not an official protective symbol 
        recognized by the Geneva Conventions governing the International Red 
        Cross and Red Crescent Movement or the Statutes of the International Red 
        Cross and Red Crescent Movement;
Whereas the State of Israel has unsuccessfully tried in the past to amend the 
        Geneva Conventions to allow for the emblematic recognition of the Magen 
        David Adom; and
Whereas recognition of the Magen David Adom as an official symbol of the 
        International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement would help fortify the 
        spirit of goodwill in the Middle East Peace Process: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the President should at the earliest possible date work 
        with other signatory countries to the Geneva Conventions for 
        the purpose of organizing a full diplomatic conference on the 
        Geneva Humanitarian Law Instruments to include recognition of 
        the Magen David Adom as an official symbol for use by 
        appropriate organizations of the International Red Cross and 
        Red Crescent Movement; and
            (2) the President should strongly encourage the 
        International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to discuss 
        this issue at the meeting of the Council of the Delegates of 
        the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to be 
        held in 1997 and to amend Article 4 of the Statutes of the 
        International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to include 
        recognition of the Magen David Adom as an official emblem of 
        the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement at the 
        International Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 
        to be held in 1999.
                                 <all>