July 3, 1974
Telegram from the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 078251, July 3, 1974, Secret
This document was made possible with support from Bilkent University
[…]
David Ransom from the State Department Middle East Desk told comrade M. Raceanu, first secretary [of the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C.]:
1. The US Embassy in Bucharest informed the State Department about the visit to Bucharest of the Palestine Liberation Organization [delegation] and its meeting with Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu, the President of Romania. The Embassy telegram, however, was limited to the news published in the Romanian press.
2. The US follows with great interest the activity of the various groups in the Palestinian Movement and especially that of the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Arafat, for the following reasons:
a. It is the most influential organization within the Palestinian Movement, recognized internationally and especially in the Arab world;
b. It has a more realistic position on issues related to the evolution of the situation in the Middle East, and, in general, to the resolution of the Palestinian question.
c. Arafat is in favour of Palestinian representatives taking part in the Peace Conference in Geneva on the issue of the Middle East.
3. Gathering from the information available to the Americans, [the US knows] that within the Palestinian Movement the prevailing idea is that the only realist solution to the Palestinian question is the creation of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state. The idea of solving the Palestinian question by means of a federation with Jordan is increasingly rejected. The American diplomat said that, actually King Hussein was aware of this situation, which was reflected in the incremental change of the Jordanian position on this issue.
4. Currently, the US does not have a formula for solving the Palestinian question. For the time being, [the US] is carefully analyzing the position of the Palestinians and of other countries, especially those in the region, without adopting any concrete position towards these [countries].
Corneliu Bogdan
The State Department tells the Romanians about their thoughts on the situation with Palestine.
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