16 Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict
acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security .”
Further , it calls for “ withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict ,” but deliberately omits use of the word “ the ” before the word “ territories .” The U . S . ambassador to the UN at the time , Arthur Goldberg , noted that this was intentional , so that any final settlement could allow for unspecified border adjustments that would take into account Israel ’ s security needs . For instance , prior to the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel at its narrowest point — just north of Tel Aviv , its largest city — was only nine miles wide .
The resolution also includes a call for “ termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty , territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force .”
And , not least , it “ affirms further the necessity ( a ) For guaranteeing freedom of navigation through international waterways in the area ;
( b ) For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem [ Author ’ s comment : Note the absence of specificity as to which refugee problem , allowing for more than one interpretation of the intended refugee population .]; and ( c ) For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area , through measures including the establishment of demilitarized zones .”
On October 22 , 1973 — during another Arab-launched war , which came to be known as the Yom Kippur War because it began on Judaism ’ s holiest day — the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 338 . The measure called for a ceasefire , implementation of Resolution 242 in its entirety , and the onset of talks between the parties concerned . Resolutions 242 and 338 are normally cited together in connection with any Arab-Israeli peace talks .