ABSTRACT
The history of the diplomacy of the Arab-Israeli conflict divides along identical lines. The resolution called for the appointment of a UN special representative to “promote agreement and assist in efforts” to reach an Arab-Israeli. The Arabs were almost wholly dependent on the Soviets for arms, and the Israelis were heavily reliant on the US for their supply of sophisticated military equipment and for political backing. The first and most obvious obstacle to US-Soviet collaboration in the search for peace in the Middle East was the two powers’ rivalry. The assumption that underlay the US-Soviet negotiation was that each side would deliver his client, i.e., the Soviets would deliver Egypt and the United States would deliver Israel. The American diplomatic initiative that followed was commanded mainly by the logic of developments on the military front. Fighting along the Suez Canal escalated steadily during 1969.
