The 15-member United Nations Security Council vote was unanimous. It came after six weeks of negotiations sponsored by Britain, following the Six Day War in June 1967, when Israel, in a pre-emptive attack, demolished the air forces of Egypt, Jordan and Syria and occupied the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, including the Gaza Strip, Syria's Golan Heights, and the Jordanian West Bank of the Jordan River, including Arab East Jerusalem.
Israel pledged to maintain its occupation until peace treaties were attained with respective Arab states.
UN Resolution 242 would become a pivotal document in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Palestinians for two decades refused to endorse the resolution because of its implicit recognition of Israel. But the Palestinian National Council finally did so in its Declaration of Independence on Nov. 15, 1988.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242
November 22, 1967
The Security Council,
Expressing its continuing concern with the grave situation in the Middle East,
Emphasizing the inadmissibility of the 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,
Emphasizing further that all Member States in their acceptance of the Charter of the United Nations have undertaken a commitment to act in accordance with Article 2 of the Charter,
Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:
Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
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;
Affirms further the necessity
For guaranteeing freedom of navigation through international waterways in the area;
For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem;
For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area, through measures including the establishment of demilitarized zones;
Requests the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative to proceed to the Middle East to establish and maintain contacts with the States concerned in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provisions and principles in this resolution;
Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the Special Representative as soon as possible.
