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“A Palestinian force should be recruited to defend the Gaza area and prevent it from falling into enemy hands if they move against it. This Palestinian force would defend Gaza even during a siege, and the Egyptian Army would benefit in several ways:

a. It would be a permanent thorn in the side of the Jews.

b. It would absorb a large number of the Jewish forces facing the Egyptian Army.

c. It would prevent the breach that would result in immigrants’ departure toward the Egyptian lines, causing confusion for the Egyptian forces and preventing them from using the lines of communication comfortably and freely.

d. It would enable the Egyptian First Division currently there to assemble instead of scattering its forces here and there.

e. In the present circumstances, this Palestinian force could be used as a civil guard to repel the Jews’ repeated attacks on the refugees and Arab property. This would avoid the legal problems arising from Egyptian regular forces clashing with the Jewish forces.

f. Organizing and training the Palestinian fighters would require only a small number of officers, and the cost of recruiting them would be relatively very low. They are among the bravest and most courageous soldiers, best acquainted with duty, and filled with the desire to save their homeland from the enemy’s danger and tyranny.

A larger number could be recruited gradually as needed from among the Palestinians who would thereby be transformed from refugees into fighters.”

Unfortunately, obstacles were placed in the way of forming this Palestinian force. I therefore submitted another memorandum to Major General Muhammad Naguib dated 2 February 1953, when he was prime minister of Egypt, reaffirming the recruitment of Palestinians in addition to other demands in favor of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The first section of this memorandum contained the following, verbatim:

“1. The Egyptian government had previously decided to form a Palestinian military force to participate in defending the Gaza area and maintaining security there under the supervision of the Army