55 years ago/May 24, 1967

In Cairo UN Secretary General U Thant and Major General Indar Jit Rikhye met President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Riad, and other officials of the UAR (Egypt). Nasser didn’t refuse straight to submit the question of the Straits of Tiran to the International Court, and he agreed to a two-week moratorium on inspecting ships. He also agreed that an UN-appointed representative supervise, in case he was in Cairo. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Abba Eban met President Charles de Gaulle in Paris and Prime Minister Harold Wilson in London. Eban was very disappointed in the French viewpoint, de Gaulle insisted to take action together with the Soviet Union. In London Eban met friendlier and more understanding atmosphere, but it was clear, that the UK wouldn’t do too much without the USA. It seemed that the two former great powers processed the experience of 1956 differently. France seemed still to follow some “independent” way in her foreign affairs, while accepted the new realities, while the UK seemed more to rely on her alliance with the United States. After Canada and Denmark requested on the previous day, the UN Security Council held a meeting. However, nothing was achieved, everybody practically repeated their own viewpoints. The representative of the Soviet Union accused Israel again, and denied any necessity to hold a meeting. During the conflict the Soviet Union seemed to block the effective work in the Security Council until they realised how big was the loss of the Arab countries. From that moment they suddenly began urging the Security Council to convene.