In the Mail - Letters to the Editor

Editor:
An e-mail message circulating on the Internet falsely contends that the American Red Cross has softened its longtime support for inclusion of the Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are the facts:

Since 1949, the MDA has been denied admission into the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which now comprises 181 societies, because it uses the red Star of David, an emblem not referenced in the Geneva Conventions.
For the last 50 years, the American Red Cross Board of Governors has considered the admission of the MDA to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement a policy priority.
Since May 2000, in protest of the exclusion of the MDA from the movement, the American Red Cross has withheld $25 million in dues payments to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and its voluntary contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The American Red Cross will continue to withhold its annual dues until the MDA is admitted to the movement as a full voting member.
Our supportive MDA policy has led to positive results. Last December, every single signatory to the Geneva Conventions and all 181 national societies voted unanimously to support a resolution asking the Swiss government to resolve the emblem issue. It is now up to the Swiss government to convene a meeting to find a resolution to the issue.

I encourage the local Jewish community to visit www.arizonaredcross.org and click on "Get Info" for more information and to clear up any confusion about where we stand on this issue. Correcting false information will help the Red Cross continue its mission to make every community safer for every family.

Cathy Tisdale
Chief Executive Officer
American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter

United we stand, divided...

Editor:
The full-page ad placed by the Republican Jewish Coalition in the Feb. 25 edition of the Jewish News should be very troubling to every member of this Jewish community.

It is understandable that Republican leadership is making a concerted effort to recruit larger numbers of Jewish voters to the Republican Party. As measured by the most recent presidential election, Jewish voters continue by a strong majority to favor the Democratic Party.

It is understandable, as well, that the Republican recruitment effort would point out that many Jewish Democrats are disappointed by the election of Howard Dean to the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.

However, the depiction in the ad of masked Hamas terrorists wearing explosive belts, as well as a Palestinian youngster likewise equipped with such an explosive belt, intended to imply that Dean's sentiments are aligned with suicide terrorists, is absolutely reprehensible. Such an implication is totally unwarranted and should be rejected by every Jew in this community.

We may be divided in our political loyalties. Let us be united in our rejection of political advertising that is untruthful and inflammatory and that serves only the goal of dividing our Jewish community in its support of Israel.

Sherman Minkoff
Scottsdale

How low can you go?

Editor:
I don't usually write letters to the editor, but in this case I feel compelled.

I have never seen an ad as misleading and vicious as the one you chose to place in your paper Feb. 25.

The attack on Howard Dean and the Democratic Party was uncalled for. It was political low-balling. To show masked terrorism is a terrible miscall of the facts and a cheap political tactic.

Even if Dean was quoted as saying "not to take sides," he corrected himself. I can't believe that somebody for whom Judaism is family would be anti-Israel or even neutral in Israel's fight for security and survival.

Let's not jump to the attack over an isolated statement and generalize from the one comment.

The group that paid for the ad should apologize and print a retraction.

Rabbi Arthur J. Abrams
Sun City

Letters to the editor must be 200 words or less; include the writer's first and last names; city of residence; and a phone number or e-mail address. All letters may be edited by Jewish News for content, style and space allowance.

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