The Khartoum Conference and Egyptian Policy After the 1967 War: A Reexamination

The Khartoum Arab Summit of 1967 has long been known for the "three no's", barring any negotiations with Israel. This article re-examines the Summit, based on memoirs of the participants and other sources, and argues that, at least in the case of Egypt, Khartoum actually marked a departure, the beginning of a process which led towards a readiness to employ political means, and eventually towards acceptance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. The differences between Egypt's approach and that of other Arab states began to make itself apparent during the Khartoum Summit, but, for various reasons, all the parties to the dispute continued to paint Khartoum as essentially negative.