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Senator Clinton Calls Secretary Rice to Urge Sending Measure to Congress that Will Enable Israel's Magen David Adom to Join the International Red Cros

Date: June 15, 2006
Location: Washington, DC


Senator Clinton Calls Secretary Rice to Urge Sending Measure to Congress that Will Enable Israel's Magen David Adom to Join the International Red Cross

Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge her and the Bush Administration to submit the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions to the Senate. The Third Additional Protocol was approved by member states in December 2005 and provides a means by which Israel's Magen David Adom can join the International Red Cross. Members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement will gather next week to approve changes necessary to allow Magen David Adom to join the movement.

"Inclusion of Israel's Magen David Adom in the International Red Cross has long been on of my top priorities. I urged Secretary Rice to take prompt action to have the United States approve the changes in international agreements that will allow Magen David Adom to join the International Red Cross. It is time to rectify the injustice of Magen David Adom's exclusion from the International Red Cross," Senator Clinton said.

Senator Clinton has been a tireless advocate of Magen David Adom's inclusion in the International Red Cross since she began her Senate term. Last November, Senator Clinton visited MDA's headquarters in Jerusalem and was briefed about the important humanitarian work that they perform, both in Israel and the world. She and Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) have also written to Secretary Rice, joined by a bipartisan coalition of Senators, requesting her assistance in facilitating the submission of the Third Additional Protocol to the Senate.

"If the Third Additional Protocol is ratified by the United States prior to the International Conference on June 19 - 21, we believe it will send a clear message of support for Israel to the other Governments. It will also signal to the world that the United States Government has taken a leadership position in the support of a new symbol that will afford needed protection to humanitarians working in conflict zones who otherwise may be targeted if they use the Red Cross or Red Crescent," the Senators wrote.

http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=257154&&

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