▁Sh arm ▁el ▁She ik ▁was ▁important ▁for ▁keeping ▁that ▁water way ▁open . ▁Later ▁in ▁life , ▁General ▁R ikh ye ▁sought ▁to ▁down play ▁the ▁importance ▁that ▁Israel ▁attached ▁to ▁keeping ▁that ▁water way ▁open , ▁saying ▁that ▁Israel ' s ▁accus ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁of ▁a ▁block ade ▁was ▁" question able " ▁given ▁that ▁an ▁Isra eli - flag ged ▁ship ▁had ▁not ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁stra its ▁in ▁two ▁years , ▁and ▁that ▁" The ▁U . A . R . ▁[ E gypt ian ] ▁n avy ▁had ▁searched ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁ships ▁after ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁block ade ▁and ▁there after ▁relax ed ▁its ▁implementation ". ▁Egypt ▁had ▁initially ▁requested ▁U NE F ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁locations ▁other ▁than ▁Sh arm ▁el - She ik , ▁but ▁UN ▁Secretary - General ▁U ▁Th ant ▁demanded ▁an ▁all - or - nothing ▁withdraw al . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁President ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson , ▁had ▁this ▁to ▁say ▁about ▁closure ▁of ▁these ▁stra its ▁being ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War : ▁ ▁If ▁a ▁single ▁act ▁of ▁fol ly ▁was ▁more ▁responsible ▁for ▁this ▁explos ion ▁than ▁any ▁other , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁arbitrary ▁and ▁dangerous ▁announced ▁decision ▁that ▁the ▁Stra its ▁of ▁Tir an ▁would ▁be ▁closed . ▁The ▁right ▁of ▁innoc ent , ▁mar itime ▁passage ▁must ▁be ▁preserved ▁for ▁all ▁nations . ▁ ▁Bridge ▁project ▁ ▁A ▁project ▁to