יומנים > יומן - מלא 04/12/1947

[Thursday,] December 4, 1947

Arthur [Asher Ben-Natan] on conscription of youth for defense, gendarmerie, Gadna [Youth Battalions], emissaries to the north. A seminar will be set up at Beit Berl to provide training, in cooperation with [Haim] Ben-Asher and Lesya [Elazar Galili].

       The settlements of Kefar Menahem, Kedma, Gat, Yad Mordechai, Nitzanim, Gal On - are beyond the border [of the Jewish state]. I suggested that the Agricultural Center immediately formulate a plan for expanding the Yishuv and adding settlements in areas that include [our] land. I approached the Agricultural Center to have it urgently prepare a plan.

       - Last night Golda [Meir] spoke with [Henry] Gurney [chief secretary of the Mandatory government, notably hostile to the Yishuv]. He was sweet. Golda insisted on having Sarona [the government compound in Tel Aviv]. [We'll receive it] in ten days. The Tel Aviv port will be vacated [by the British authorities] at the start of February. A people's guard will be established in another day or two. They'll dismiss the supplemental Arab notrim [British-appointed auxiliary police] (about 6,000 men). Some of the weapons will be given to cities [to the people's guard]. This police force will still be under British rule. Gurney asked for cooperation and friendship - to forget the bad and remember the good.

       - A broadcasting facility in Tel Aviv - Ze'ev Sherf asks that Shlomo [Arazi] be instructed to build a broadcasting station per the instructions of [Zvi] Lurie. [The broadcasting station will operate] under the authority of the Situation Committee.

       - Fritz [Eshet]: [proposes] four command areas: in the north five battalions, in the center - 3, in the south - 5, in Jerusalem - 2. A national reserve - 5 Palmach battalions. Each infantry battalion - 700 men. A strike force [of] 600. More service units should be established.

       - At 12 Agudas Israel center [Central Committee?]. They want the elections [to the national assembly] not to follow the format of Knesset Israel [i.e., the Assembly of Representatives and the National Council of the Yishuv, in which Agudas Israel did not participate]. [I replied:] It's not my business, but I advised, as an individual, that it be announced that the National Council and the Aguda center are arranging elections for the general representation of Eretz-Israel Jews, and the Rabbinate's arrangements will continue unchanged. They agree to this proposal.

       They also spoke about a constitution, and I said: - We'll worry about that when the time comes.

       - 4 p.m. - Defense Committee: Yisrael Galili delivered a report from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.