יומנים > יומן - מלא 08/03/1948
[Monday,] March 8, 1948 [Jerusalem]
David [Shaltiel]: The military situation [in Jerusalem]. The Arabs have been aggressive these past two weeks, especially in Sheikh Jarrah and around Katamon. There are Arab snipers, a reinforcement of (enlisted) mercenaries - a few hundred in Jerusalem. They're using Spandau [heavy] machine [gun]s (which cut through our armor); they're better equipped than us in [light] machine guns, [heavy] machine [gun]s, and rifles (maybe fewer Stens). David has adopted a strategy of defense. He doesn't attack, except in unusual situations to pin down forces, because he wants to gain time. Brigadier Jones [the British commander in Jerusalem] approached David a week ago to [arrange] a ceasefire around the university. Jones said that the Arabs had also agreed. But the Arabs laid mines. So he set a day, at 8 a.m. (the area: from Sheikh Jarrah to the university and 3 km eastward). At 8 a.m. things were quiet. But that afternoon they started shooting again. Jones asked for another day. David agreed, but they started again.
[According to Shaltiel], we don't have trained men, we don't have commanders, there isn't enough equipment, discipline is bad, there's no order in the battalions, people lie, engage in provocations, start shooting where they mustn't shoot, think they know better. [We] need squad commanders, platoon commanders. As for Ramallah, we should have sent either a battalion or only four men (commando).
Currently David has 1,600 fully enlisted. So far there's only enough gear for 200 men. He was sent 20 rifles and 50 submachine guns. There are no explosives aside from cheddite. He's trying to hold on and will hold on - but he can't launch a military action. He could have destroyed Sheikh Jarrah - if it weren't for the [British] army. He needs the small PIATs that we're making (?).
David believes he'll be able to conquer Jerusalem by May 15 if he's given: commanders, supplies (food, personal equipment, and gear), and weapons. Right now they need warm clothes - in a few weeks khakis.
- I summoned Granovski [Dr. Granot, KKL]. I asked for a charitable donation of half a million for three months at most. He says he has no money. Everything from America goes to defense, [and] it's impossible to send anything from the Sterling bloc. By October the KKL will need 10 million (with all the German lands) without them - 8½. Right now a quarter of a million is needed for the Negev - and he doesn't know where to take it from.
Granovski asks why there is no place for the KKL in the provisional council of government. (?).
I found this baffling, and told him so. He was disappointed.
As to the money [from the fundraising campaigns in] England - we've received 30,000 from this. Wright [head of the KKL in the UK] wrote to him stating explicitly that it was not for defense, but he delivered it.
[Yosef] Weitz also came - to discuss the Negev. In March they'll be operating at around P£ 360,000: for armored [vehicle]s, trucks, housing, supplies, etc. Upkeep of the settlers is not part of this budget - there are special means. The KKL representative in the Negev affairs administration will be Weitz. The administration in Tel Aviv will be composed of Weitz, [Yehuda] Horin, Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir], a representative of the command, and me.
Weitz raises the question of the economically weaker settlements: there are 120 within the [territory of the] state, 11 - in the Jerusalem Bloc, 17 in the Western Galilee Bloc, 8 in the Southern Bloc. The economic fortification and the protection of all these settlements will require more than 1½ million liras (P£).
- [Chaim] Herzog came from his meeting with [Colonel Roscher] Lund [military attaché to the UN Palestine Commission] - [who] told him that [we] should forget about an international force. Maybe [there will be one] just for Jerusalem. Lund said that it would be good if we had weapons abroad for May 15. [They] also want a provisional government to be established, because the recognition of a government also entails recognition of the army. He hinted that a lot of weapons can be bought in Spain. He thinks that the most important thing is airpower. He gave Herzog a questionnaire regarding the forces on both sides, their equipment etc., and an assessment of their positions and respective capability now and in the future.
Herzog is not inclined towards [Izhak] Ben-Zvi's proposal that we demand a single American military observer, because [that person would] be subordinate to the American consulate, which only reiterates what the English say.
- From 3 to 4:20 a conversation with the Commissioner on peace in Jerusalem, terrorism (again!), the government's announcement, the White Paper, the enemy's invasion, England's policy in the East - and it's not clear why he summoned me.
- Mrs. Schoolman and Mrs. Granovski [Miriam Granot] came to see me: on Hadassah's lack of security. She approached the [American] consul (why?). Asks whether to send more or fewer people.
My answer: Neither more nor fewer, but rather the people needed, and to protect them.
They asked about evacuation [of the village] - I said: heaven forbid. ([Need] to check the defense needs of the youth).
- David [Shaltiel] poses a question regarding [the] Etsiyyon [Bloc]. Need to send another 400 men there (and bring back 100 Hayish and Palmach men who are there), food for three months and more weapons. This is only possible with armored vehicles, and all the vehicles he has in Jerusalem. It could fall into the hands of the army, or the Arabs. Then Jerusalem would be in a dangerous situation.
I asked about the state of the university and Hadassah [Hospital] - I was promised that they're not in any danger.
Avraham Halperin (commander of the Old City) was arrested by the police and released. Now he's in the new city. In David's view he cannot be trusted - the pieces of information he provides are not accurate, and he misled David (via the chief rabbi's uncle) with a story about the army thinking of bombing a synagogue that has the only mikvah in the Old City.
Finally he told me that he'd managed to purchase the Schneller Institute [Camp] from the army.