U.A.R., Iraq reject U.N. appeal for cease-fire

The United Arab Republic and Iraq to-day [June 7] rejected the United Nations Security Council’s call for an immediate cease-fire in West Asia. Arab countries are determined to continue the war Cairo Radio said and blared anew the call for all-out war. Israel late last night [June 6] told the U.N. Council that it would abide by the U.N. cease-fire call if the “Arabs did like wise.” The U.N. Security Council last night [June 6] unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and a cessation of all further military activities in West Asia. The text of the resolution, over the wording of which the 15 members of the Council had wrestled for over 36 hours, was immediately transmitted to Tel Aviv and the various Arab capitals. In Washington President Johnson welcomed the cease-fire call and called it a hopeful path towards a first step for peace and progress in West Asia. In the Security Council the resolution, in the final states, was negotiated almost solely by the two Big Powers — the U.S. which has been backing Israel and the USSR which has been supporting the Arabs. This confirmed the belief of observers that in the final resort the solution of all major world problems could be accomplished only by the two super-powers acting in concert. Yesterday’s [June 6] resolution was however deliberately silent on one key question. It said nothing about the disposition of the rival forces after the cease-fire becomes effective. This means that Israel, which has made significant territorial gains in the two-day-old war, will keep what it holds at the time of the cease-fire. This includes the Gaza strip which the Egyptians surrendered during their rout, and Jerusalem which the Jordanians lost. Egyptians on the other hand will presumably remain free to continue the blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba. In this sense neither the Israelis nor the Arabs were able to score a triumph over the other. But in the military sense, however, it meant a clear victory for the Israelis. It now has the satisfaction of having dealt another severe blow to Arab prestige — for the third time in 20 years it has been able to inflict a military defeat on the Arabs. And because it now holds vital Egyptian and Jordanian territory it is also in a position to bargain for a lifting of the Aqaba blockade as the prize for the Arab real estate which it now holds.