Terry Bischoff, CEO of the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY), Lew Krulwich, a board member, several other board members and staff will greet leaders of the Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israel Red Cross Society. Ronin Bashari, Director MDA Jerusalem, Haim Dagan, MDA Liaison Officer with ICRC and Anna Segall, IFRC Societies Representative in Israel on their visit to New York.

"This visit is the next step in an important new chapter in the relationship between the American Red Cross in Greater New York and the Magen David Adom in Jerusalem," said Ms. Bischoff. "There is much our two organizations can learn from each other. For example, the Israelis are experts in leading-edge technology in disaster response and we are learning a great deal from their expertise.

For our part, our experience dealing with the psychological aspects of trauma and ways to help families after a tragedy can be helpful to the leadership of Magen David Adom." This trip will feature meetings with disaster mental health experts, EMS workers and Fire Department officials as well as an opportunity to see the new Red Cross high tech Mobile Command Center and a response to a local fire.

The trip to Israel in November featured several days of meetings with MDA officials in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, a visit to a kibbutz/settlement where the MDA and the Red Crescent Societies work together on emergency response, and discussions about mutual cooperation and future joint projects. A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations was signed in Jerusalem at the end of the trip.

For many years, the American Red Cross has taken a strong position that the international movement of the Red Cross grant full recognition and membership to the Magen David Adom. The American Red Cross has gone so far as to withhold dues to the international parent organization on that basis. To underscore the importance of its position, in 2002 the American Red Cross signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the national MDA in recognition of the mutual support of the two organizations.

"We wholeheartedly endorse the American position of support for Magen David Adom and these two trips strengthen our position by cementing a strong bilateral relationship between two key cities," said Bischoff. "Furthermore, we will continue to work within the Red Cross organization to support the goals of the national movement."