More Israeli 'give' pressed in Palestine self-rule talks
October 23, 1981
Tel Aviv
Full-scale talks on Palestinian autonomy got under way Thursday. Israel came under increasing Egyptian and American pressure to show greater flexibility in its position in the 29-month-old search for a self-rule plan for Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel in the 1967 six-day war.
Secretary of State Alexander Haig was reported by Israeli radio's Washington correspondent to have told former Foreign Minister Abba Eban that Israel should take the initiative to ensure progress in the protracted negotiations.
Earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in an interview with an Israeli newspaper, said Israel ''must be more flexible on questions of principle, especially after the death of President Sadat.''