476. Statement by Prime Minister Eden1
The British and French Governments have given careful consideration to the resolution passed by the General Assembly on November 2.2 They maintain their view that police action must be carried through urgently to stop the hostilities which are now threatening the Suez Canal, to prevent a resumption of those hostilities and to pave the way for a definitive settlement of the Arab-Israel war which threatens the legitimate interests of so many countries.
2. They would most willingly stop military action as soon as the following conditions could be satisfied.
- (i)
- Both the Egyptian and the Israeli Governments agree to accept a United Nations force to keep the peace.
- (ii)
- The United Nations decides to constitute and maintain such a force until an Arab-Israel peace settlement is reached and until satisfactory arrangements have been agreed in regard to the Suez Canal, both agreements to be guaranteed by the United Nations.
- (iii)
- In the meantime until the U.N. force is constituted both combatants to accept forthwith limited detachments of Anglo-French troops to be stationed between the combatants.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–356. A marginal notation on the source text indicates that the statement was handed to Murphy by Coulson at 10:15 a.m., November 3. Another notation indicates that “Eden made this statement in Commons at 7 a.m. E.S.T.” The British Government quoted this statement in full in a letter to Hammarskjold, dated November 3, which was circulated as U.N. doc. A/3269.↩
- For text, see Document 467.↩