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PortugueseThe Red Cross continues to fund the Palestinian Red Crescent, despite the PRC using those funds to glorify convicted Palestinian terrorists.
According to Palestinian Media Watch, earlier this month, Giorgio Ferrario, the representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Red Crescent Societies in the Palestinian Authority, reportedly attended a Palestinian Red Crescent event honoring convicted Palestinian terrorists presently serving time in Israeli jails. During the event, 150 trees were planted bearing the terrorists names. Following Palestinian Media Watch’s publication of the story, the ICRC issued a statement defending the right of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to use donor money any way that they chose.
While the ICRC denied involvement with planting the trees, the PA Daily Al Hayat Al Jadida claimed otherwise reporting, “The International Red Cross and the Palestinian Red Crescent, in cooperation with the Zububa Rural Council west of Jenin, […] planted 150 fruit trees that carry the names of the veteran prisoners jailed in the occupation prisons.” Regardless, the ICRC refused to condemn the event, claiming, “Over the decades, the ICRC has provided support, including financially, both to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and to [Israeli] Magen David Adom for their humanitarian programs. It remains the prerogative of the National Society to define its own priorities and activities and to allocate funds accordingly.”
The ICRC does not explain how planting fruit trees to honor convicted Palestinian terrorists can be considered a “humanitarian program.” The security prisoners that the Palestinian Authority typically honors includes people like Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences plus 40 years for planning four terrorist attacks against Israelis; Ibrahim Hamed, who is serving 54 life sentences for planning the Hebrew University suicide bombing, the Café Moment suicide bombing, the Café Hillel suicide bombing, and the Zion Square suicide bombing; and Salam As’ad Al Zaghal, who murdered a father of five small children.
The ICRC has always enjoyed very good relations with the Palestinian Authority, yet has had strained relations with Israel. Magen David Adom joined the ICRC in 2005, on the condition that the Magen David Adom would not operate within Judea and Samaria, as well as East Jerusalem. Some Palestinian Red Crescent workers, such as Wafa Idris, became suicide bombers, and the ICRC monitors Israeli prisons to ensure Palestinian prisoners are treated properly, while Israeli kidnapping victim Gilad Shalit did not receive the same level of care from the ICRC, despite the fact that unlike the Palestinian security prisoners, he never committed any crime.
Throughout the five years that Gilad Shalit was in captivity, the ICRC didn’t place any pressure on the Palestinian Authority to work towards his freedom. Noam Shalit said during his son’s captivity, “We demand that the Red Cross’ approach be more active and decisive. I would like to believe that they would give us a sign of life from Gilad. We are conducting ongoing dialogue with the Red Cross but it has not been much help. I did not hear them condemn Hamas on its crime against Gilad. The Red Cross has been a complete failure in this affair.”
PLEASE WRITE TO THE ICRC TO PROTEST!
Email: scarliez@icrc.org
Dear Sebastien Carliez,
As a concerned citizen, I am deeply upset to learn that the ICRC is funding events by the Palestinian Red Crescent honoring Palestinian terrorists serving sentences in Israeli prisons. I am even more disturbed that the PA daily Al Hayat Al Jadida reported the representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Palestinian Authority, Giorgio Ferrario, attended a recent Palestinian Red Crescent event in which 150 tress were planted bearing the names of convicted Palestinian terrorists. Honoring terrorists who have blood on their hands cannot be considered a ‘humanitarian project’ under any definition. To refer to such an act as a humanitarian project is a travesty for everyone who cares about human rights and the dignity of mankind. I urge you to put a stop to funding Palestinian Red Crescent events which glorify terrorists.
Sincerely,
Your Name
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