by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
ICRC denies PA daily report that it participated in ceremony to honor terrorists, but fails to condemn the Palestinian Red Crescent's use of donor money for the ceremony
Red Cross: Each national branch has the right"to define its own priorities and activitiesand to allocate funds accordingly"
Earlier this month, Palestinian Media Watch reported on a ceremony in the Palestinian Authority celebrating the International Red Cross' 150th anniversary. The official PA daily reported that the International Red Cross (ICRC) together with the Palestinian Red Crescent planted 150 trees bearing the names of "veteran prisoners," meaning security prisoners who have been imprisoned for many years.
Following PMW's report, the International Red Cross, in a letter to Weekly Press Pakistan - Canada that published the report, denied its involvement in the ceremony:
"Please note that ICRC was not present during the planting of the trees ceremony reported by your website."
However,
not only did ICRC not condemn the Palestinian Red Crescent's
glorification of terrorists in the ceremony, it chose to accept the use
of ICRC money by the Palestinian Red Crescent. The ICRC issued a
statement defending their right to use donor money any way they choose,
even though the issue being raised was the use of ICRC money for terror
glorification:
"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." (emphasis added)
The
official PA daily wrote that "the International Red Cross and the
Palestinian Red Crescent... planted 150 fruit trees that carry the names
of the veteran prisoners jailed in the occupation prisons... [during] a
ceremony called 'My Honor is My Freedom'... to mark the 150th
anniversary of their founding." The PA uses the term "veteran prisoners" to refer to those who have been in jail the longest, and in most cases these prisoners are serving life sentences for murder or multiple murders.
PMW documents international organizations' association with Palestinian glorification of terrorists.
The following is the full version of ICRC's statement as received by Weekly Press Pakistan that published PMW's report, conveyed to PMW by Tazpit News Agency:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
In
reference to the article entitled "International Red Cross plants trees
to honor Palestinian terrorists, Ceremony named "My Honor is My
Freedom" honored 150 "veteran prisoners"" published on your website on 12.05.2013.
As
we were not approached at any time regarding the content of the
article, we kindly request that you publish our response hereafter (as
is):
"The International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, independent and
impartial organization. Over the last 150 years, we have been striving
to uphold these fundamental principles which continue to guide our
humanitarian work around the world.
Please note that ICRC was not present during the planting of the trees ceremony reported by your website.
Over
the decades, the ICRC has provided support, including financially, both
to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and to 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. "
Should
you have any questions on our activities in Israel and the occupied
territories, we remain at your disposal and you can as well check our
website: http://www.icrc.org/eng/where-
Regards,
Nadia Dibsy
ICRC Spokesperson
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
[May 22, 2013, http://weeklypresspakistan.
The
following is the article in the official PA daily reporting on the
International Red Cross' participation in the tree planting ceremony
honoring terrorists:
Headline: "150 trees named for prisoners are planted in Jenin"
"The
International Red Cross and the Palestinian Red Crescent, in
cooperation with the Zububa Rural Council west of Jenin, yesterday
planted 150 fruit trees that carry the names of the veteran prisoners
jailed in the occupation prisons.The
Red Cross and the Red Crescent conducted a ceremony called 'My Honor is
My Freedom' in the village of Zububa to mark the 150th anniversary of
their founding. Fruit trees were planted at the entrance to the village,
where the racist annexation and expansion wall that has swallowed up
thousands of acres [of land] was built."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 9, 2013]
PMW notes that the article in the PA daily included the following incorrect statement:
"Participating
in the ceremony was the Representative of the European Union of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Giorgio Ferrario."
In
fact, Giorgio Ferrario who participated in the event is not an EU
representative but the "Representative of the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies" in the PA.Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Source: http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=9085
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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