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History
MDA was founded in Tel Aviv in June 1930 as a response to the riots of 1929 which made people
realise, that they lacked first aid services to protect themselves in the face of emergencies.
To fill this urgent need, seven public spirited men set up a First Aid Society called Magen
David Adom - The Red Shield of David.
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MDA's first home was a shop on the corner of Rothschild and Nahalat Benyamin Streets and its
only resource was a small van converted into an ambulance and a few dozen volunteers.
Throughout the 1930's and 1940's it was recognised by the Mandate authorities as the
'Red Cross' society of the country and became the medical service of the Haganah with MDA
members serving as first-aiders alongside the Haganah fighters. With the foundation of the
state of Israel in 1948, leading members of MDA were involved in setting up the medical corps
of the Israeli Defence Forces.
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In 1950, the Knesset passed the Magen David Adom law which gave MDA recognition by the
government of Israel as "the sole organisation entrusted to carry out in Israel the functions
assigned by the Geneva Convention national societies of the Red Cross or other volunteer aid
societies..,"
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