Where is the Red Cross?

We’ve seen and heard the terrible atrocities perpetrated by Hamas terrorists and their claims of large numbers of people taken hostage. We have seen the abusive inhumane treatment the hostages are being subjected to.

The Red Cross was created and exists to protect exactly these people, women, children and infants, yes, babies taken hostage by Hamas.

Is the Red Cross on site there in Gaza to ensure their proper, safe maintenance according to the rules the Red Cross is meant to uphold? I spoke to the Red Cross earlier today and they said they need to be invited in. I asked who they expected to invite them, and they responded: Israel.

I was dumbfounded. Do they think Israel is the governmental authority in Gaza? Did they never hear of the Disengagement? Not only is Israel not the governing power of Gaza, but the Red Cross is already there as the Red Crescent and needs no invitation..

The Red Crescent is a full fledged member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). As such they are bound by the same ideals and goals. Why are they not fulfilling them? The Red Cross never wanted Israel’s Red Star of David as members, justifying that because they use the Star of David instead of the Red Cross, but somehow, they accepted the Red Crescent as full members.

The Red Crescent is to be seen all over Gaza. Are they fulfilling their mandate? It does not seem so.

In contrast, the Red Cross demanded access to Arab terrorists in Israeli prisons - who live in relatively palatial conditions, take university courses, are fed and clothed well, and have more rights than most prisoners in the West, despite having committed capital crimes.

Israel didn’t invite the Red Cross, they demanded access and got it. Is the Red Cross today demanding access to the hostages in Gaza?

When I spoke to the Red Cross this morning, they proudly told me they can be anywhere in the world in 3 hours. I asked if they are on their way to Gaza, in that case, or already there. They raise enormous sums of money from the USA, Canada and predominantly from other western nations, in order to protect civilians around the world. Does that include Jews?

Everyone knows they are not necessary to protect prisoners in western countries, but to protect people where they need protection, where they don’t have it.

I repeat: Are they on their way to Gaza to supervise the Red Crescent's operations? The Canadian Red Cross web site proudly announces that the organization is in Syria, Yemen, Sudan and the Ukraine. These are also areas of hot ongoing wars, like Gaza.

Are they going to use their influence to aid the Israeli hostages? Will the Red Cross and the Red Crescent fulfil their mandate and protect the hostages in Gaza from injury, mistreatment and worse?

If the Red Crescent does not do everything to protect the hostages, if the Red Crescent doesn’t do anything to protect the hostages, will they be turned out of the ICRC?

Paul Rotenberg lives in Toronto and is Vice-President of the Toronto Zionist Council and is editor of the TZC weekly newsletter about Israel and the Jewish World, available from [email protected]. He and his wife have five children, two of them IDF soldiers