AJC urges Egyptian government to allow Israeli breast cancer researchers to enter the country

American Jewish CommitteeOct 23 2009

The American Jewish Committee urged the Egyptian government to allow a team of Israeli breast cancer researchers to enter the country for a major conference sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a leading breast cancer awareness group based in the U.S. The Israeli team was denied entry into Egypt earlier this week, despite having previously received the necessary clearances to attend the conference in Alexandria.

"It is absolutely intolerable for Israeli scientists and advocates to be excluded from a conference like this, apparently on the basis of their nationality," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We urge the Egyptian government, and in particular the First Lady of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak, who is the patron of this conference, to ensure that the Israeli delegates are permitted to enter the country. We urge the Susan G. Komen organization to make clear to the Egyptian authorities that such bigotry has no place in the global fight against a terrible disease which afflicts millions of women of all nationalities and groups."

The conference, which takes place over the coming week, is also being supported by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the United States Agency for International Development in Egypt. Israeli researchers, working at major centers like the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Hadassah Medical Center, have been at the forefront of attempts to fight breast cancer.