A Few More 'Victories' Like This...

December 14, 2005
The Jewish Press
Original Source: http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/4919/A_Few_More_'Victories'_Like_This....html
It was a striking coincidence that the news of the death of Kaare Kristiansen last week was being reported when news surfaced of Israel's so-called victory in its efforts to get the Magen David Adom accepted as an international relief agency under the Geneva Convention, as well as expressions of satisfaction by Israeli officials over the broad condemnation of the Iranian president over his comments that Israel had no right to exist. With all respect, Israel can hardly afford many more such victories. Not only were they pyrrhic in substance, they also paint a picture of a desperate Israel in a free fall compromising mode. The contrast with the late Mr. Kristiansen could not be sharper.
As The Jewish Press reported last week, Kaare Kristiansen was, by profession, a Norwegian politician, statesman and diplomat. However, he regularly defied convention and spoke his mind, especially when it came to the world's treatment of Israel and indulgence of Palestinian terror. Jews the world over will never forget his resignation from the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in 1994 in protest of its decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize that year to Yasir Arafat.

Now consider the Israeli government's cave to the International Red Cross. Israel's Magen David Adom, the Israeli relief society, which is symbolized by a red Star of David, was never granted international recognition because of the opposition of the Arab world to any legitimation of Israel and the Star of David. Without such recognition, Israel's relief teams working outside of Israel were not entitled to the protection of international law. In addition, that also meant that they could not join the umbrella group of international relief agencies called the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The various national relief societies could join the federation by displaying either a Red Cross or a Red Crescent (an Islamic sign), the only symbols recognized by the Geneva Convention. Although Israel could theoretically join by displaying either the Red Cross or Red Crescent, as a practical matter, membership was closed to them because of Arab opposition.

So what was the big victory last week so warmly welcomed by Israeli officials and American politicians and organizations? The Geneva Convention recognized a third symbol, not the Red Star of David, but a neutral red quadrangle to be called a Red Crystal. Israel would be allowed to insert a red Star of David and it would be recognized for use in countries that permitted it. However, a stand-alone Star of David — as distinguished, of course, from a Red Cross or Red Crescent — will still not result in universal protection under international law.

Further, the adoption of a third protected symbol supposedly will pave the way for the Magen David Adom's being voted into membership in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. All of this, by the way, despite continuing Arab opposition. The folks at the Geneva Convention and a majority at the international federation appear willing to override Arab objections in order to effectuate this compromise.

The bottom line? A Red Cross, yes. A Red Crescent, yes. A Red Star of David, sort of.

Along the same lines, Israeli officials were reportedly ecstatic over the worldwide outcry that greeted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement on October 26 that Israel should be wiped off the map, and his December 7 call for Israel to be moved to Europe. Yet Anne Bayefsky, editor of the Eye on the UN website, reports that on November 29, the UN sponsored an International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and featured a large background map of the Middle East, which featured Palestine as occupying the space of Israel. What's more, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who led the international chorus of condemnations of the Iranian president's statements, docilely sat on the dais at the event, literally in the shadow of the map that had eliminated Israel. 

And, of course, the maps currently in use by the Palestinian Authority under the enlightened Mahmoud Abbas — with whom western leaders claim they can work with — are the same ones used by Yasir Arafat, which also fail to show Israel.

What would Kaare Kristiansen think of all of this? What indeed!