יומנים > יומן - מלא 09/02/1948
Monday, 9 February 1948
Dr. [Aharon Ze'ev] Eshkoli: Ahmed Sharif, age 65, one of Hebron's dignitaries, has 1,500 men in his family. He claims that he believes in a Jewish-Arab alliance, and that this would bring about an Arab renaissance. He believes he deserves a high-ranking position in the Arab state. He proposes that an "opposition with bloodshed" be formed in twenty "towns" (villages), under two slogans: 1) Haj Amin is an emissary of Stalin. 2) The Jews want agrarian reform - which is why the Mufti is opposed (mutually contradictory!).
He wants to meet with the Jews as adversaries, but not as haters. Adversaries can compromise. The Arabs' "European" headquarters is in Hebron (Germans). They carried out the P. P. [Palestine Post offices in Jerusalem] bombing. An attack against Gush Etsiyyon is being planned. The first [attack against this bloc] wasn't organized or planned and only 21 Arabs were killed.
He wants us to introduce a variant in our orientation: helping him with organization (not weapons), printing flyers for him, money for expenses (actions [of sabotage] and organization). How much? - He didn't say. Eshkoli believes it would be a few thousand - as an initial gesture, and then we'll see. Ahmed Sharif also spoke with Sasson without Eshkoli's participation, but with the participation of Epstein, son of Zerach Epstein, an adventurer in the good sense; according to Epstein, Sasson said he'd provide the means for flyers and for every "head."
Eshkoli is certain that the Arab is sincere, isn't seeking to get money out of Jews, but isn't certain about his effectiveness, although he'll carry out some trials. The Arab claims that this is the final hour. In Eshkoli's view, this shouldn't be carried out by members of the Agency, but by the opposition. (Who? Ihud members (?!)[)].
E. Proposes himself as the intermediary.
I said that first I must hear from Eliahu Sasson.
- Yitzhak Sadeh: The establishment of two bases in Nir-Am and Sdom requires 250 [men] for Nir-Am and 100 for Sdom. An addition [additional men] for the existing settlements not 300 but 500. Establishing ten new settlements 600 men.
He demanded a labor brigade for construction and roadwork. In all, they'll require up to 3,000 fighters (including those already there). Suggests an announcement [be issued] about not leaving a settlement, about going to Eilat, about men [reinforcements].
- On Friday Brodnitz returned from [seeing] Novo [Novomeysky]. He agreed to transfer the machine [from Kalya for Ta'as]. He proposed to Haifa, but only after May 15 (? - after August 1, if that's when the English leave), although yesterday he seemed to recant, and now he wants to speak first with me or Eliezer Kaplan. He requires the generator to produce chlorine gas, which is necessary for manufacturing bromine (right now he has orders for bromine). But he'd be willing to offer the rectifier, which is only a bad substitute for a generator, because the electrolytic process needs a "direct current." I wrote to Kaplan about the matter, [saying] that he should get in touch with Novo immediately.
- Mishal [Shacham], Mila [Bar-Lubarsky] [sp.], and Moshe Bar'am: A telegram from Bernard Joseph [Dov Yosef]: Out of concern that transport will be cut off, there should be an urgent delivery [to Jerusalem] of 500 tons [of food] from HaMashbir, 450 tons matzah flour, 350 white flour, 120 tons oil, 200 legumes, jam, and other provisions, 200 tons of supplies for barnyard and chicken coop - all this [in addition to] daily consumption. In the meantime it's necessary to arrange 25 additional vehicles per day.
In the course of [addressing] this telegram, we examined the entire problem of transport to Jerusalem (Yigael S. [Sukenik-Yadin] also participated): Daily supplies require 60 trucks per day (and as they're held up for a day in Jerusalem, this means 120 vehicles). In order to transport the stock required by B. J. [Bernard Joseph - Dov Yosef], we need 800 vehicles.
If 50 vehicles go each day, this will take 16 days, although if people think that the road won't be safe for so long, they'll once again demand 100 vehicles (for the same reason).
It's hard to get vehicles because of the danger on the roads (lack of armor) and profiteering around the price of transport, even though the price has increased threefold relative to November 29: for food - P£ 4,5 per ton, for other things P£ 5. There are enough vehicles and drivers in the country.
The drivers are of three types: A) members of cooperatives, B) hired [drivers], C) owners of individual vehicles. We need an order to seize cargo transport and to have the arrangements set by the transport committee (Mila, Mishal, [Haim] Razili, Gorochowsky [Shraga Goren]) established by the "Organization," the Agency's Transport Department, and the General Council. 30% of the vehicles and drivers need to be obligated [to participate] in the event of emergency measures. Yigael thinks we should enlist a unit of drivers - 300 men - and he's right. The provision of supplies to Jerusalem is also a military need, and it's imperative that [we have] such an enlisted force available to us. There have been instances in the past when the "Organization" [Haganah] forcefully seized vehicles and drivers. [They're] avoiding having two drivers [per vehicle]. Seizure requires a promise of compensation in the event of disaster and damage (they tell me: Kaplan was called on to allocate a reserve of P£ 20,000 for this purpose, and didn't respond). P£ 2,000 for fuel [needs] (I promised this amount immediately as a loan for 20 days!).
Mila also proposes immediately ordering 50 trucks from America.
When will they arrive? - In three months (that won't help Jerusalem this month!) and will cost P£ 100,000.
I promised to raise this question for discussion and decision in the Defense Committee tomorrow, to issue this [seizure] order.
I asked, why aren't they armoring? - Mila replied that the "Organization" [Haganah] confiscated all the material necessary for armoring.
Why don't they at least armor the driver's seat? - He replied that they'll hit the motor.
And without armoring the driver - it's not possible to hit the motor? In charge of armoring on behalf of the Transport Department - [Yisrael] Malishkevich [sp.].
The large companies (Shelev, Solel Boneh, and others) are insisting on a seizure order [for their vehicles].
- Telegram from Golda (sent February 3, 1948):
"UJA undertaken call on major cities to borrow 50 million during next 5 weeks full support joint[.] By February first yearly receipts until 50 million achieved will be divided equally regardless of source income."
Towards this end she has to visit 12 cities and promote the activity, and she's insisting that Keren Kayemet LeIsrael and Keren HaYesod be instructed that the monies from this fundraising go only to the [Jewish] Agency.
- [Yitzhak] Mitrani [sp.] and [Aryeh] Weinberg - who were appointed as buyers with the consent of the procurement committee - require a letter of authorization. Arrangements are being made for a company that will serve as a central entity [should be "legal entity"].
- Ya'akov [Dori] firmly insists that Shkolnik [Eshkol] be transferred to the Personnel Department. Shkolnik rightly thinks that he should not be confined to anything specific. So far he has handled fortifications and armoring - after Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir] took on this issue there isn't much for him to do here. He's still handling production. There's a meeting every day, and relations between the "doctor" and Vilenchuk are still fragile.
On behalf of the Staff, Lehrer [Moshe Zadok] is handling manpower. His role: to receive people from the recruitment bureau, assign them to intake camps, clothe them, in general equip them individually, give them a little initial training, and then send them to units in accordance with the Chief of Staff's decision - on the basis of brigade and area requirements - regarding the allocation of personnel.
Incidentally Levi [Eshkol] mentions [Israel] Kirstein from Haifa, an expert in ships (he repairs ships). Zeev Hayam hasn't left yet, because there's a delay in the Italian visa.
- Zonenberg [sp.] from South Africa, deputy chairman of the "Board" [a committee of Jewish community delegates] wants the United [Jewish] Appeal (aside from Zionist fundraising), which raises about 2 million and guarantees 10% of the budget for the Joint (raises funds for the reestablishment of European Jewry), to do something for the country now. Kaplan suggested that he participate with 200,000 pounds for housing. I suggested that aside from this they provide about 50,000 for Jerusalem - food stocks, fuel, and water (containers). He thinks he'll be able to do this, if I give them a little more detail. He's returning to South Africa on Thursday. He requests a message for Africa's Jews.
- Shaul [Avigur] states that he doesn't recommend that he be assigned responsibility for the Negev, because of his health, but if I do assign it - he'll accept. He'll insist on a serious deputy (someone such as Akiva Globman [Govrin]); commander (Nahum [Sarig] - he's a serious man in his opinion), and a prominent kibbutz member (one of the following: [Avraham] Hanochi [sp.] from Ayelet HaShahar, a top-tier kibbutz member; Shlomo Kanarti, a pillar of Kvutzat Kinneret; Mitya [Krichman, from Afikim] (who surpasses all of them, but can't be taken); Dosya [Korin [sp.] - also from Afikim], [Ze'ev] Karp [sp.] (Ashdot[-Ya'akov]), or Shimon Hecht [Degania][)]. Blass told him that for the sake of irrigation, water towers also have to be built in the settlements (a tower in Hatzerim requires 60 trucks!).
I told him that we'll conclude the matter on the weekend - after I receive the material from Yitzhak [Sadeh] and Weitz, and the financial options will be clearer to me.
If he isn't assigned the Negev, he's prepared to take on another role.
- At 9 p.m. consultation on the gangs. Sasson couldn't join because the Coptic friend arrived from Egypt (sent according to him by his superiors [the king's court]). He relays three things: A) England is pressuring Arab countries with the Jewish communist threat. B) England, with America's support, is demanding that Arab states declare that in the event of war [between the superpowers] they would join the Anglo-Saxon side. This declaration would satisfy them, and they would continue to support them. C) England, with America's help, wants to forge financial alliances with the Arab world - instead of political alliances - and in this way to maintain their influence in the East.
According to Eliahu Sasson the situation will worsen and the attacks will increase. There'll be coordination in the hills and on the roads to pin down our forces and halt transport and sever Jerusalem. This will raise their standing in the eyes of the Security Council. The Mufti's forces aren't enough for many attacks, and pressure from states has also led him to make concessions: no provisional government, Abd al-Qadir [al-Husayni] not as top commander, but a regional commander, and he won't act at his own discretion. Supreme command: Fawzi [al-Qawuqji].
After the victory there'll be a referendum on the form of government. The Mufti (for now) is not a hegemon. Thus the pressure on the king [Abdallah] will increase. It will be hard to oppose the League's plan. The cities will be left alone, and thus there will be prosperity, and they'll operate in the villages - without the villagers, because there are enough foreign forces. There's P£ 1 million for the League's "military committee." The gangs aren't confiscating food, but rather buying it, and renting rooms. The Syrians think this will have an influence on the Security Council, if not in the debate - then in the resolution. They'll raise the question of Libya and Cyrenaica - as a means of applying pressure to postpone partition in the matter of Eretz Israel. The Iraqis are well armed and see this war as a test of the Arab world.
Yigael's plan (Operation Lamed Heh) could expedite attacks against us, and in any event we won't be able to delay action on their part because they don't care if the villages suffer. Only two things will delay action: either their political victory - or destruction of the gangs by us. They're talking about a long war, and Fawzi [al-Qawuqji] told his men that the Jews have a lot of power and will fight for a long time.
In Sasson's opinion, a daring operation on our part could have a positive influence on the discussion [in New York] but will not delay an attack. The Arabs will have a lot of men and weapons and they aren't dependent on Eretz-Israel Arabs. Sasson recommends attacking while also defending. He believes in the king but the latter depends on the British, and his power is limited, and he should not be counted on.