June 12th, 1951 The Suez Crisis

June 12^th, 1951 The Suez Crisis

The representative of Egypt told the Special Committee of the Mixed Armistice Commission on justification of Egypt’s blockade against Israel:

“We are exercising a right of war.  We are still legally at war with Israel.  An Armistice does not put an end to a state of war.  It does not prohibit a country from exercising certain rights of war.”

The United Nations Chief of Staff in a report to the Security Council:

“It is quite clear to me that action taken by the Egyptian authority in interfering with passage of goods destined for Israel through the Suez Canal must be considered an aggressive action.  ”

Source:  Regional Development for Regional Peace: A New Policy and Program to Counter the Soviet Menace in the Middle East, Washington, DC: Public Affairs Institute, 1957