Letter from Walter Ulbricht to Leonid Brezhnev

Draft

Berlin, 14.6.1967

To the

Secretary General
of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Comrade Leonid Ilich Brezhnev

Moscow

Dear Comrade Leonid Ilich Brezhnev,

The Politburo of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of German [SED] has decided to address the Central Committees of the Communist and Workers’ Parties of the seven Socialist countries, which have taken a position in a joint declaration on June 9^th on Israel’s attack on the Arab states.

The Politburo of the Central Committee of our party deems it necessary that the governments of the seven Socialist states undertake further measures in the spirit of the joint declaration to coordinate their actions. For this reason we are distributing the proposal that as soon as possible a council of the foreign ministers of the seven Socialist states take place at which the tactics and joint measures are to be discussed to address the observance of the Security Council’s Resolutions on ending combat operations, the withdrawal of Israeli assault troops to their position before the attack, the condemnation of the aggressor by the UN, questions of reparations, and possible UN sanctions against the aggressor as well as other joint policies toward the Arab and non-aligned states. Moreover we propose a joint conference with the executive committee of the CMEA connected to the foreign ministers’ meeting of the seven Socialist states. At this conference, joint solidarity measures by the Socialist countries toward the Arab states should be agreed upon, about which a related effective declaration should then be published. We would like to further inform you that the representatives of the German Democratic Republic will seize the initiative so that the following international democratic organizations accept the Arab states: the World Federation of Trade Unions, the World Federation of Democratic Youth, the International Student Union, and the TDFF. This might include political declarations such as sending work brigades from the workers’ and youth movements from individual countries as well as international brigades from these organizations to remove the consequences of the attack and other measures.

In making these suggestions the Politburo of the SED’s Central Committee is guided by the [illegible] that it is necessary to lead a coordinated and concentrated political fight in order to force the aggressor to uphold [illegible] international law and to guarantee the Arab states the most effective, coordinated, and swift political and material assistance possible for overcoming the effects of the aggression and the strengthening of their position.

In the spirit of the declaration of the seven Socialist states on the Israeli aggression we believe that the swiftest possible understanding about the submitted recommendations is necessary.

Similar letters have been sent by the Central Committees of the other brother parties who signed the previously mentioned declaration.

With Socialist greetings