U.S. Urges PLO to Ease Tension, Take ‘Practical Steps’ on Peace

The United States today urged the PLO in a 4 1/2-hour meeting to take “practical steps” to ease tension in the Israeli-occupied territories, the head of the U.S. delegation said.

After the meeting, U.S. Ambassador Robert H. Pelletreau said there is a “new dynamic” in the Middle East “of which this dialogue is a part.”

He said the two sides discussed “substantive issues relating to the peace process” and talked about “practical steps that can be taken in the occupied territories to reduce tension.”

Pelletreau’s statement did not elaborate on the content of the talks, and he did not answer questions from reporters.

Yasser Abed-Rabbo, a member of the PLO executive committee who headed the Palestinian delegation, said in a statement after the meeting that it is “the Israeli occupation and Israeli repressive measures” that cause tension in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.