On 8 November, the Cabinet of Israel met to discuss the situation in view of the United Nations Resolutions and the Notes from President Eisenhower and Premier Bulganin. The Prime Minister was in constant consultation with the Israeli Embassy in Washington and Israel's delegation at the United Nations. It was finally agreed to accept the United Nations Resolution and withdraw Israel's forces after suitable arrangements had been made with the international Force. On 8 November, the Prime Minister broadcast a message to the nation in which he explained the reasons for the withdrawal. Text of the Government statement and excerpts from the message follow:
Yesterday I informed the Knesset of the circumstances and the motives which compelled us to resort to extensive and determined military measures against the bases of the Egyptian fidayun scattered throughout the Sinai desert. Immediately following the beginning of these operations a special emergency session of the United Nations Assembly was called to discuss the grave situation in the Middle East. At the same time as our forces destroyed the nests of the murderers in Sinai, the armies of France and Britain attempted to occupy the Suez Canal Zone. The Assembly by resolution thereupon called on all parties to observe a cease-fire. On 3 November we informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that we had complied, and the cease-fire has in fact been maintained until this moment.
The special emergency Assembly was not content with a cease-fire, and, on the proposal of the United States Government, it adopted by a very large majority two further Resolutions: one demanding that Britain and France should immediately withdraw all their forces from Egyptian territory and further that Israel should immediately withdraw all its forces behind the armistice lines laid down in the Armistice Agreement of 24 February 1949. The second provided for the establishment of a United Nations international emergency force.
The text of both these Resolutions was transmitted to us this morning by the United Nations Secretary-General. In the course of the past few days I have also received two letters: one from the President of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, Mr. N. Bulganin, and one from the President of the United States, Mr. D. Eisenhower.
This evening I invited the heads of all the parties in the Knesset except for the Communist party to meet with me, and informed them of the developments both in the Assembly and in our relations with the various Powers, and of the Government's proposed line of policy. The Government met twice today, and, after hearing comprehensive reports on the situation, took the decision the content of which you will hear in my reply to President Eisenhower....
Mr. Ben-Gurion then read the letters exchanged between him, Mr. Bulganin and President Eisenhower. (See Documents 7 and 9.)
1 cannot finish my remarks without saying a few words to my comrades in arms, to all the soldiers and officers of the Israel Defence Forces: you have, as ever, performed your mission on behalf of the nation with supreme valour, and whatever may be the results of the political struggle with which we are confronted and which is not yet over, let none of you imagine that your heroism and the sacrifice of your comrades who fell in battle have not been completely fruitful. We set ourselves three main roles in the Sinai operation: the destruction of the forces which lay in wait to destroy us; the liberation of the territory of the Homeland which had been occupied by the invader, and the safeguarding of free navigation in the Gulf of Eilat and the Suez Canal. And although for the moment only the first and principal aim has been achieved in full, we are confident that the other two aims will also be fully achieved. None of us knows what will be the fate of the Sinai desert. In my review in the Knesset yesterday I passed over this great question in silence, not unintentionally. There was no doubt in our minds that we were facing a combined struggle, both military and political, and no one can yet tell whether either of them is concluded and if so, how. During our War of Independence we were also faced with severe trials and, although at that time we did not achieve all that we desired, we have never in our minority achieved more than we did then. It is only the shortsighted who fail to see the greatness of our achievements on this occasion though the struggle is not yet over. There is no power in the world which can nullify our victory, and Israel after the Sinai operation will no longer be the same as it was before this splendid operation. There is a great historic recompense for your work, and I believe that our entire people will be worthy of it.