Day 164 of 599 of מלחמת העצמאות MILḤEMET HAʾAẒMAʾUT (War of Independence)

גולדה מאיר GOLDA MEʾIR returned from the meeting with Transjordan’s ruler and gave דוד בן-גוריון DAVID BEN-GURION a note describing an offer of autonomy under the ruler’s authority. This did not satisfy the demand for independent sovereignty by יהודים YEHUDIM. גולדה מאיר GOLDA MEʾIR reported the failure of diplomacy with Transjordan’s ruler. dates her report separately from the unconfirmed precise meeting time.¹

The diary records immediate consultations about mobile forces, the capital’s road and preparations against a wider invasion. Decisions about where to engage the Arab Legion remained political choices for the coming government. The account also confirms that צפת ẒEFAT and بيت محسير BAYT MAḤSIR were in their hands by that date; the statement cannot move either capture to an earlier preparatory day.²

A Red Cross representative announced acceptance in principle of a plan to demilitarize ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM. Written arrangements still remained, and the next day’s JTA report recorded a denial by הסוכנות היהודית HAʾSOḪNUT HAʾYEHUDIT. Proposed demilitarization of ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM. distinguishes the announcement, disputed consent and failure of lasting whole-city demilitarization.^{3 4}

The Red Cross supplement described civilian safety zones and efforts to secure the parties’ formal commitments. Humanitarian protection and the armed defense of supply access operated through different mechanisms. The available record establishes proposals and urgent decisions without a complete daily casualty or evacuation roll.⁵

This is Day 164 of the 599-day civil-date series: 1948-05-11. The register assigns its daytime public route ב׳ באייר ה׳תש״ח 2nd 𝑜𝑓 Iyar, AM 5708, a TJD fixed Hebrew calendar conversion rather than a claim that every included occurrence shared the same Hebrew day. Events after local sunset belong to ג׳ באייר ה׳תש״ח 3rd 𝑜𝑓 Iyar, AM 5708. Dated diaries, document records and issue dates cited beside each section supply the reconstruction; a publication or recorded report is not automatically the occurrence date. Linked studies preserve their own timing and source conflicts.⁶

• Why did autonomy under another ruler fail to satisfy the demand for national sovereignty?
• How does the next day’s denial change the apparent humanitarian agreement?