יומנים > יומן - מלא 06/05/1948

May 6, 1948 Yohanan [Ratner] and Ezra [Omer]: we need a scientific expert who'll determine whether the material is suitable. Yohanan proposed [Dr. David-Ernst] Bergman in the absence of Aharon [Katzir]. I agreed. About P£ 1 thousand five hundred is needed to complete the experts' work. I approved it. Yohanan is staying. Again I asked about establishing a strategic planning department under his management, in partnership with Fritz [Eshet]. He agreed and promised not to "run away" anymore. - At ten I demanded two airplanes to transport the members [of the provisional government] out of Jerusalem. It turns out that all the aircraft here are broken down but it's possible to take from the Negev (where there are two) and Galilee (three). I ordered one to be taken from each place. There may be a new [airplane] here that'll hold three passengers and can land in Jerusalem. I cabled Kaplan that he should come first because the situation is catastrophic. - I turned my attention to the Staff meeting: Who will be commander of the air force? Everyone thinks it's best to take both Yisrael [Amir] and Hai [Yissacharov] because they complement each other. They propose [Alex] Shiloni [sic-Ziloni] as chief of staff, Aharon [Remez] as head of the Operations Department. From the Dead Sea they're asking about the arrangement. I suggested asking Yeshurun [Schiff] by cable if he has an arrangement with Novo [Novomeysky]. If he does-he should go to the Dead Sea and arrange things; if not-he should come here. What should be done with the enemy property (Waldheim, [Neve Ya'ar, a German colony in the Lower Galilee], Arab villages, etc.?). There's a Command committee: [Yitzhak] Gvirtz, Gad Meknes, Ezra [Ichilov]. I proposed maintaining this committee for the time being. The property belongs to the yod-gimmel [the "government"]. What the "Organization" [Haganah] needs, it confiscates-against payment to the yod-gimmel. Money. The situation is catastrophic. Yesterday 300 soldiers declared a hunger strike-because their families aren't receiving support. Two platoons have deserted. At a squad commanders' course in Galilee there wasn't any food-Baruch [Rabinov] says that maybe today there'll be a quarter million. A minimum of half a million is needed. I promised to see to it as the first thing after Kaplan arrives. The police officers and pickup trucks and the power to make appointments: I ruled that we'll lay down matters at the meeting with Sacharoff [Yehezkel Sahar], Boaz [Zvi Ayalon], and Itay [Isser Be'eri]. In the pickup truck matter, Yosef Rochel [Avidar] will take part, too. They're complaining about Dan Epstein [Even]. He refuses to take orders in general, and in particular he doesn't accept Bob Hendler [Emanuel Avidor] as commander instead of Shmulik Rapoport [Admon], who's being transferred to Artillery. Hendler was Chaim Laskov's deputy in Nahshon. An instructor at a platoon commanders' course, an officer in the Jewish Brigade. I suggested inviting Dan in the afternoon to settle the matter. Eliahu Cohen has additional complaints about Dan-I asked him to put all of them in writing and I'll look into them with Dan. Yigael [Yadin] is asking [me to give him] Shlomo Rabinovitz [Shamir] for assistance. I delayed my decision in this matter. What will Chaim Laskov do now? With the consent of the Chief of General Staff-Eliahu [Ben-Hur] says-he was dismissed from a training position. - A talk with Ya'akov [Dori], Shkolnik [Eshkol], and Yohanan [Ratner]. They're setting up a planning department to be run by Ratner and Fritz [Eshet]. Shkolnik will coordinate staff affairs for the time being. Ya'akov proposes moving Dan [Even] to the staff. I nominated [him] as Deputy [Chief of General Staff]. Ya'akov agrees to this. Instead of Dan, I suggested [Mordechai] Makleff. Ya'akov agrees. Ya'akov opposes Chaim [Laskov] as brigade commander-he isn't restrained and educated, and he's got this boyishness-he's fit to be a battalion commander. Ya'akov suggests Eizik [Yehoshua Eshel] as settlement officer (unless Mishael [Shaham] is dealing with it). The department people [heads of the General Staff departments] sent me an irresponsible letter [after the post of Chief of National Headquarters was eliminated] and I had a talk with them. The arrangement: when Ya'akov [Dori] returns, Shkolnik [Eshkol] and I will sit with them. - I met with Novomeysky. There's an agreement between him and Yeshurun [Schiff] and if only Yeshurun can make it to the Dead Sea, the matter will be all right. I reported this to Yigael [Yadin]. - A delegation of [Yosef] Sapir and [Moshe] Swirsky about the Ihud haEzrahi [Citizens' Union]. They claim that in 1940 or 1941 Shertok concluded an accord with them. [Going forward,] they want either a [settlement-level] defense committee or participation in a small cabinet committee for the management of the war. I explained my personal stance on the Ihud haEzrahi question, the new constitutional situation [party representation in the provisional government the People's Council], and the difficulty in reconciling their proposal with the new situation-I'll present their message to the yod-gimmel. - M. Zelicki [Carmel] told me that relations with the [British] army in Haifa are sound. They're honoring the arrangements that were agreed upon. [The British] returned the armored vehicle and the weapons [that had been confiscated]. LEHI has warehouses in Haifa and appears to be preparing for operations. M.Z. wants to arrest their people (on the grounds that they will forcibly release someone whom the Haganah has sentenced) and confiscate their warehouses (LEHI disarmed three of our guards and returned the weapons in the meantime) and he wants to surveille them. I approved the third matter and advised not to start any attacks but rather to prevent operations. - Gad Meknes complains, after Command appointed him to deal with the affairs of the Arabs-who are occupied and escape and return-things are being done without his knowledge and contrary to the agreed arrangements that were made. I suggested that he meet with [Bechor] Sheetrit, the manager ["minister"] of Arab affairs, and with Rosenblüth [Pinchas Rosen], the manager of justice, and that they should draw up a plan and an agreed constitution and show [them] to me-and I'll present it to the yod-gimmel for its approval if necessary.