In June 1967, Hans Tabor, representative of Denmark, was the president of the United Nations Security Council. In the early morning hours of June 5, Tabor received two urgent communications. The first was at 3:10 a.m. New York time from Gideon Rafael, Israel's representative at the UN. “I have just received reports,” Tabor related, “that Egyptian land and air forces have moved against Israel and Israel forces are now engaged in repelling the Egyptian forces.” Rafael added information from an IDF communiqué: “Since the early hours of this morning fierce fighting has broken out between Egyptian air and armoured forces, which moved against Israel, and our forces, which went into action to contain them.”

Twenty minutes later, Tabor received a communication from Egypt's representative, Awad el-Kony: “Israel has committed a treacherous premeditated aggression against the United Arab Republic this morning. The Israelis launched attacks against the Gaza Strip, Sinai, airports in Cairo, in the Suez Canal area and several other airports within the United Arab Republic.” Egypt invoked self-defense: “In repelling this aggression, I wish to inform you, upon instructions from my Government, that it has decided to defend itself by all means, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.”