The Israel Government refused today to grant visas to a delegation of six Russians to enter Israel to attend a meeting of the Israel-Soviet Friendship Congress which will be held in Tel Aviv next week-end. The foreign Ministry here only received the visa applications this morning and the Russians were scheduled to leave Moscow for Tel Aviv tomorrow.
Replying to a question by a reporter, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that Israel feels that such visits should be based on a policy of reciprocity and that since Israeli visitors in Moscow have been invited by the Soviet Government, Soviet citizens coming to Israel should do so only as guests of the Israel Government. The Congress was organized by the Communist Party of Israel.
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