Diplomatic claims about the coastal area of עזה AZA circulated while the government debated military size, housing and finance. The day’s evidence shows how security and immigrant reception competed for resources, with property questions remaining open.

אסתר הרליץ ESTER HERLIẒ told McDonald that the cabinet had voted to accept the coastal area and an estimated 250,000–300,000 Arabs, and claimed private Egyptian willingness to relinquish it. The expanded Gaza study distinguishes this May 30 conversation from McDonald’s May 31 report. The vote date and Egyptian consent are not independently established. Ethridge’s later June 2 challenge is contrary evidence, not an occurrence within this ten-day batch.12

What did the Commission say about publicity?

At 10 a.m., SR.65 discussed the May 28 memorandum received May 29, the May 29 Gaza letter and press coverage in The Palestine Post. Ethridge believed public presentation damaged prospects of Egyptian acceptance. The original article’s headline and page remain uncollated; the record establishes the Commission’s discussion of that coverage. Commissioners also planned invitations to refugee-relief organizations.3

How large a force could the state support?

The diary records a proposed minimum of roughly 32,000 personnel, which דוד בן-גוריון DAVID BEN-GURION found alarming. It also considers financing against government houses and land, including abandoned property. The housing and property study compares the proposal with reception planning. Neither the force proposal nor the financing discussion is proof of an adopted establishment or enacted law.45

Which earlier talks and admission request were reported?

משה דיין MOŜE DAYAN reported talks held yesterday about לטרון LATRUN and access around ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM; their occurrence belongs to May 29. The diary separately records a request associated with Bishop Hakim to admit 500 Christians, to which דוד בן-גוריון DAVID BEN-GURION did not agree. The archive uses an infiltration category, but the entry does not establish each person’s identity, earlier residence or legal status. It records rejection of this request, not a verified expulsion or a universal denial of return.6

How is this dated?

This is Day 548 of the 599-day civil-date series: 1949-05-30. Its public OTD route is ב׳ בסיון ה׳תש״ט 2nd 𝑜𝑓 Sivan, AM 5709, the daytime Hebrew conversion of the civil slot. Herlitz’s talk occurred May 30 and was reported May 31. SR.65 is timed 10 a.m. May 30. The diary dates Dayan’s underlying talks yesterday, May 29; its military and finance figures are proposals. An individual occurrence after local sunset belongs to ג׳ בסיון ה׳תש״ט 3rd 𝑜𝑓 Sivan, AM 5709; the daily slot does not assign that daytime Hebrew date to every incident described here. Source clocks are local to their named cities; evening reports and meeting times remain distinct. 78910

Guided reflections

  • What would independently verify Herlitz’s claim of Egyptian willingness?
  • Why does rejection of one admission request not establish the outcome for all absent residents?

Footnotes

  1. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 708, FRUS 708. ↩
  2. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 720, FRUS 720, later paragraphs 3–4. ↩
  3. United Nations, A/AC.25/SR.65, SR.65, opening, Gaza and relief-organizations sections. ↩
  4. Ben-Gurion, diary, May 30, 1949, 0048-52–53. ↩
  5. Ben-Gurion, diary, May 30, 1949, Selected original 0048-53. ↩
  6. Ben-Gurion, diary, May 30, 1949, 0048-52, Maimon request and Dayan yesterday. ↩
  7. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 708, Date and relative wording identified in the section above. ↩
  8. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 720, Date and relative wording identified in the section above. ↩
  9. United Nations, A/AC.25/SR.65, Date and relative wording identified in the section above. ↩
  10. Ben-Gurion, diary, May 30, 1949, Date and relative wording identified in the section above. ↩

Works cited

  1. United States Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949. Vol. VI. Document 708. Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d708. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. United States Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949. Vol. VI. Document 720. Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d720. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine. A/AC.25/SR.65. Official summary record or correspondence, May–June 1949. https://unispal.un.org/pdfs/AAC25SR65.pdf. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Ben-Gurion, David. Diary, May 30, 1949. Ben-Gurion Archive, record 219642. Hosted Hebrew transcription. https://bengurionarchive.bgu.ac.il/node/5419. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. Ben-Gurion, David. Diary, May 30, 1949. Ben-Gurion Archive, record 219642. Original scan. https://bengurionarchive.bgu.ac.il/sites/default/files/diaries/item-2196421621242541.pdf. Accessed October 11, 2026.