Reagan Supports Mideast Talks

President Reagan, opening White House talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said today violence on the West Bank and in Gaza was the result of “allowing the Palestinian problem to fester.”

In an arrival ceremony, Reagan pledged to work with Mubarak for negotiations between Israel and the Arabs. The President said the violence in the Israeli-held territories and the rising death toll “vividly remind us that much remains to be done. The danger of allowing the Palestinian problem to fester is evident and reinforces the urgency of moving toward negotiations.”