A delegation of 31 Israeli geneticists planning to attend the International Congress of Genetics in Moscow Aug. 21-30 decided today to boycott the Congress after Soviet officials refused entry visas to 16 of the Israeli scientists. The scientists are members of the Israeli Genetics Society, an affiliate of the International Confederation of Genetics, which is sponsoring the Congress in Moscow.
Ten of the Israeli geneticists came to Israel from the Soviet Union. Those who came from Moscow were refused visas. The 16 who did get visas will be limited in their travel to the Moscow region and to participation in their travel to the Moscow region and to participation in the Congress. The former Soviet Jews who were among those receiving the restricted visas were Jews who had not lived in Moscow prior to their emigration to Israel.
In support of the Israeli geneticists, members of the American delegation have decided that, while they will not boycott the Congress, they will not read their papers at the event. That decision was disclosed in a cable to the Israeli society by American geneticists who reported they intended to stand up at the Congress and announce they would not read their papers to protest the Soviet rebuff to the Israeli scientists. (See related story P.3.)
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