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The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is expected to get a frosty reception on his first high-level visit to Washington.
Over the next three days, Jakob Kellenberger will be meet the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, the joint chief of staffs, as well as the American Red Cross.
High on the agenda will be US anger at the ICRC's continued refusal to admit Israel as a fully-fledged member.
 The controversial symbol
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The ICRC says under the Geneva Convention, only the Red Cross and the Red Crescent are allowed.
It argues adding a new symbol would provoke confusion and lead to a proliferation of other symbols.
Simmering dispute
The dispute over Israel's membership of the ICRC has simmered for half a century.
With the rise in the killings of Red Cross workers, many fear the Red Cross symbol is already losing some of its protective value.
But the non-recognition of the Israeli Star of David means the Jewish society only has observer status and no voting rights.
This somewhat arcane row may never have come to the boil if it was not for the American presidential elections.
The Clinton administration, with an eye on the Jewish vote, wants the issue resolved quickly while the president of the American Red Cross has made it a high priority.
Israel's exclusion, she argues, could be seen as discriminatory and politically driven.
Funds threatened
If the ICRC does not act, it is understood the American Red Cross might consider leaving the organisation.
This could threaten the US contribution to ICRC funds, which at some $150m annually, is the biggest in the world.
Much is understood to hinge on the ICRC president's visit to Washington.
Ultimately the issue of admitting Israel, which doesn't have full status even at the UN, is tied to the broader politics of the Middle East peace process.
All 188 Red Cross member countries, including the Arab nations, would have to ratify the Jewish state's membership.
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