In the eye of the storm: Odd Bull and the outbreak of the 1967 war

This article discusses the events that culminated in the 1967 war between Israel and the Arab states, drawing from the personal diary of General Odd Bull, chief-of-staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). The article narrates Bull’s first-hand account of his interactions and communications with the involved parties, his reflections on key regional developments and his insights into the limits of UN peacekeeping forces in achieving their objectives. Diary entries highlight Bull’s attempts at mediation over many years and his adaptation to the ever-changing political and military regional landscape, thus adding fresh insight to the existing literature on the Arab-Israeli conflict.