Fight Over New Red Cross Emblem

Israel wants to join the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Muslims are (as usual) making trouble.

An attempt to end Israel’s long isolation from the Red Cross humanitarian movement hit a snag Tuesday as Muslim opponents used procedural moves to block progress at a decisive international conference, delegates said.

The International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which opened Tuesday and is expected to conclude Wednesday, is being asked to approve changes to meet Israeli demands of almost six decades that it be granted full membership without using the cross or crescent to identify itself.

I’m not sure that I see any overpowering need for all this ecumenicism in the first place.