יומנים > יומן - מלא 05-09/04/1948

April 5, 1948 Joseph Fein visited me on behalf of Abba [Khoushy]: It's not clear which [of the Arab commanders] will be given command in Galilee: Emir Faour, [?] Kamal al-Hassin (from Halisa), Ahmed Bek (the Mutawali). A week ago, Kamal al-Hassin gathered all the villagers in his surroundings and asked not to attack the Jews except after Syria and Lebanon attack. Emir Faour answers to King [Abdallah]. Ahmed Bek sent his brother-in-law, Sabri Bek (worked for Solel Boneh and has connections with Jews), to tell us that he won't do anything to the Jews. In Lebanon, lots of confusion, there's propaganda about deporting Eretz-Israeli [Arabs] back to Eretz[-Israel]-there are some 40,000 Eretz-Israelis. Circulating in the streets, visiting prostitutes. The Lebanese argue: If they ran away-why should we go to fight? In the vicinity of Hanita, Commander Adiv Shishikli [battalion commander with the tseva ha-hatsala [lit. "rescue army"] speaks Hebrew and Turkish. He has 400 men, including 150 deserters from the [Arab] Legion who fled with their ammunition. They took part in the battle against Yehiam. Its frontiers as far as Yehiam. In the vicinity of Safed and Meron is Hassan Bek-he has 300 men who live by their swords. When they go into action and do well, they can attract thousands. Around Hurfeish, Abu-Maghar [sic: Maghar], Shfar'am, 500 Druze [from the "rescue army"] came. Abba [Khoushy] met with them individually. The leader, Shakhiv, [?] and Wahab. Terms with him can be worked out. They're ready to accept a man or two in the camp. They'll attack a location of ours for appearances. There will be no Iraqis among them. Sultan Khanj [sp?] [a Druze] will receive control over [the Druze villages] on [Mt.] Carmel. There are Circassians on the Galilee-Haifa-Sejera road. Kheir a-Din [sp?] from Kafr Kamma (served in the frontier corps) is receiving this region. Met with Joseph Fein. Returned from Damascus and said that he had to accept command; otherwise Iraqis will come. His village wants water and electricity from us. He believes the Jews will win because they have brains, dynamics, and will. He doesn't agree to the Haganah entering their village; he'll accept their supremacy. He will have 350 men with him and it's his responsibility that they won't attack us. Joseph believes he won't betray us. [Kheir a-Din] wants to secure the future of the village and of the Circassians. He's willing to liaise between the Circassians and Joseph. Wants P£ 50 per month. Will receive our man in his tent. Everything needs a commander, a "daddy." The police commander in Safed, Braham (responsible for Nebi Yusha, Halisa, Metulla, Rosh Pinna, and Safed), the commander in Tiberias, Thomson (responsible for Tiberias, Tsemah, Gesher); We'll receive the police stations without war. Gesher (but not Tsemah), the quarantine [?] in Tsemah [Iraqis are already sitting at [al-]Hamma, Tiberias. In Upper Galilee, they'll hand us [the police stations in] Metulla, Rosh Pinna, and the customs [house in Rosh Pinna]. We'll have to take the Quarantine camp at Mishmar HaYarden and Nukheila [north of Dan] by force. There will be war over Nebi Yusha and Halisa. Braham and Thomson won't stay to the end: military sergeants will come in with soldiers on shifts. Joseph has a connection with them. Captain Schorr is connected with us-he's advising the degenerate [i.e., the British] general in Tiberias. The army's attitude has changed for the better recently. They returned the armored vehicles. Are allowing Bren [machine guns] to be held. All of this will cost [P£] 2,000 per month. - Fritz [Eshet] came from Jerusalem. They now have 25 machine guns, 250 rifles, 500 submachine guns, 35 small mortars, 4 large [mortars], 120,000 303 rounds, hardly any 2" [52-mm] shells, 8 3" [81-mm] shells. Manpower: Battalion A is full-strength on paper but divided, part in static positions and part in the Old City. They sent 106 men to Kastel and its vicinity, the Tsova quarry, the Giv'at Tsova [stronghold], Battalion B-cut off, [deployed] around [the city]: ''Atarot and Neve Ya'akov 153 men, almost no ammunition. The northern Dead Sea 80. There were 80 men in Sdom and they were sent away by the [Potash] Company after they mistakenly killed an Arab. 76 returned from the Etsiyyon Bloc; 150 were sent in their place. In Motza there are 70 men, in Hartuv 68, they're setting up a third battalion-starting 250 (65 of whom in Jerusalem, 70 in Motza, 68 in Hartuv). 200 men are on the way. Another 100 are ready in reserve for Jerusalem. The guys don't have field training; the commanders lack training, too. Not-good human material: indisciplined, capable of leaving a wounded commander and running away ([it happened] next to Tsova-five days ago). Around 70% don't know why they're fighting; they're being forced. The Palmach doesn't answer to the district commander-they're subordinate to Tel Aviv [Palmach headquarters]. There's no coordination. The Palmach [commander] doesn't report to the district commander-even when he comes to Jerusalem. There's hysteria in the population. There's no bread in Fritz's home. The secessionists are inciting. There was a demonstration in Meah She'arim with a white flag-on the way to Musrara [today-Morasha]. The train arrived-but they didn't advertise that in town. The secessionists pilfered 125 tons of flour from the army and distributed it in town. There are no stocks of food. The pump [at the water carrier from Rosh Ha'Ayin broke] down for two days-and water didn't reach Romema for 36 hours before Fritz left. The population is expected to fail. The boys know how to fight from positions but will fail when they head into the field. Hayish [ [the Haganah Field Corps] captured Kafr Helti [a small Arab neighborhood on the slopes of Romema]. What does the city need?-two battalions to seize locations, a garrison force to succeed [them] in the positions, and the members of the battalions will be released for war-500 extra men are needed (in [Operation] Nahshon, Jerusalem has a battalion commander, 2 company commanders, 10 platoon commanders, 45 squad commanders, 150 privates they're preparing another 100 men from the draft). There are some 1,500 gang members (Iraqis, Syrians, etc.) in the vicinity of Atarot; in Shu'afat there are 300 armed men. The main problem: food and transport to Jerusalem. Should Neve Ya'akov and Atarot be evacuated?-No, if women and children can be taken out, these places will serve as obstacles and bases. Can children be removed [from Atarot and Neve Ya'akov] without army?-There are no vehicles for it. - Dani [Zeev Schind] came: Freddy [Harry Fredkins] bought 31 cannon from a Belgian company. They are in Denmark. The shells are in Switzerland. Together they weigh 21 tons. Shipping depends on arranging transport with Busico [Boursicot]. They're offering Itai [Ehud Avriel] 200 75-mm cannon. In Yugoslavia there's an agreement in principle [to ship them]. Freddy can immediately obtain five small airplanes from American surplus, another seven by May, and eight more after May. They've already contracted for all twenty. Freddy's airplanes from England (All of them?-don't know) are in Italy. Dani wants to authorize Shaul [Avigur] in the matter of Topic H [habala = sabotage]. Shaul is sparing no effort to obtain cannon and shells. The first shipment was delayed for lack of a ship ready to go. Now Yehuda [Arazi] bought a 1,700-ton ship (it's in Italy). They also bought a second ship for Itai [Avriel]-it'll hold all the goods (approx. 700 tons). For shipping, we need to have our own ships. Everyone's buying ships. A coordinator is needed to arrange vessels for shipping. It should be tasked to Shaul [Avigur]. The shipments in Dalet [Aliya Dalet immigrants] have been halted-for lack of vehicles [ships]. The sea-wolf has convalesced and is about to go to Italy. He bought 4 boats: LCT-2 (small invasion boats [tank landers], 45 tons each, with two engines each ([each] engine-85 horsepower), speed 12-14 knots, they have a bridge that opens and closes, 80 people can be transported, used mainly for cargo-each one costs P£ 1,300 (together with the shipment). [He] bought two large invasion vessels, 420 tons each, with three diesels each, 120 horsepower each diesel, speed 8-9 knots, cost P£ 10,000 each. [He] bought MLs [motor launches]-34 meters long, with two gasoline engines, 500 horsepower each, speed 18-20 miles. Can hold 150 people below deck. With shipment, P£ 7,000. [He] bought a 8½-meter motorboat, two gasoline engines, 80 horsepower each, speed 26 miles, only two people, P£ 150. He] bought a barazhe [ferry] made of iron, they'll make it into a 140-ton gasoline tanker, cost P£ 6,500. All this cost P£ 38,850. He was sent $ 92,000 plus 17 million [Italian] lira, the equivalent of P£ 10,000. The ML's task-coast guard. Rapid transfer of passengers to a distance of 50 meters from the shore. Carries a dinghy to move people to the coast. There's [an opportunity] of buying another small LCT [landing craft tanks]-P£ 7,000, a tug[boat], and ten additional motorboats. I approved this purchase. - Afternoon, a meeting of the Executive to discuss the meeting of the [Zionist] General Council. [From here to the end of the Zionist General Council conference, there are no systematic entries in the diary.] April 6-9-meetings of the General Council. I lectured on April 6, responded to the debate on the 7th, on the 8th I lectured at the Defense Committee. Meanwhile, battles in the Jerusalem hills and the vicinity of Mishmar Ha'Emek. On April 8, Abd al-Qadir [al-Husayni] was killed at Kastel after we evacuated, but we recaptured the place the same night.