יומנים > יומן - מלא 02/12/1947

[Tuesday,] December 2, 1947

A delegation from the Western (Arab [per UN Partition Plan]) Galilee - Hanita, Eilon, Matzuva, Yehiam. Security problem: the possibility of being severed, need excellent protection (over water facilities). There are demands for fortifications, fences, weapons.

       Is there money? A payment has already been made (from the loan [to the Yishuv for defense purposes]).

       [They're] short on rifles, submachine guns, ammunition. The settlements invested a lot of resources in equipment. Their financial situation is difficult. [Kibbutz] Eilon spent P£ 3,000 [on defense] in the past two years. They need supplemental personnel. In Yehiam there are only 45 people.

       Will the supplemental personnel support themselves by working? No. There is work, but they won't earn enough, especially as the "supplementals" will be focused on their defense. Transport protection is necessary. They need an ambulance.

       The settlements are deep in debt. Eilon owes P£ 100,000 in the private market. When it rains Yehiam is impossible to reach, and this requires paving a 7 kilometer road up to the Tarshiha Road. Hanita owes the market 95,000. The interest - P£ 5,000. In Hanita and Matzuva there's no water, nor in Yehiam. Need a water reserve in Yehiam (there are tanks - they're not filled). It's necessary to cultivate the soil, and this requires machines. Harish and Solel Boneh [civil engineering companies that specialized in earthworks and construction] and others have the machines. Food reserves are a problem - they buy food twice a week. In Yehiam there's no self-sustenance, not even a chicken coop. Yehiam will require an enlisted force from the brigades. There are 3,000 dunams here; 600 dunams can be cultivated. There's no medical center in the area. Need a medical center in Nahariya.

       Between Metzuva and Eilon it's possible to establish another settlement.

       I summarized the defense problems: weapons, fortifications, supplemental personnel, food and water reserves, a medical center, an ambulance, housing for the "supplementals." Settlement problems: debts and interest, cultivation of the land and machines for this, water and development, concentration of population, roads.

       - Party members came. They tasked Pinhas [Lavon] with preparing an Arab plan [for handling the Arab problem]. I suggested tasking a member [with preparing] a "Jewish plan" as well.

       - Moshe Halevy (from HaOhel [Theater]) insists on a new anthem.

       - Yisrael [Galili] and Ya'akov [Dori] are opposed to sabotaging the orchard[s]. Ya'akov proposes warning [actions] among Arab transport companies, striking at the water facility. Yisrael agrees.

       There's the question of Jewish workplaces in Arab areas: Sarafand [Tzrifin], Lod, Beit Nabala. They suggest sending arm[ed] men with a certificate from the Haganah, but there are hundreds of buses and it's hard to send so [many] men and instruments [weapons]. Need to safeguard [transportation in] Wadi Ara, Wadi Milah. Eliminate the Acre - Safed route; safeguard the Ramle - Bilu, Tel Aviv - Jerusalem [routes] ([which pass through the Arab settlements of:] Yazur, Ramle, Qubab), the southern route (from Gedera to Nir-Am); in part this will be carried out by MG [mobile guard of police from Jewish settlements]. I said that they should consult with Reuven [Shiloah] or Yehezkel [Sahar]. I summoned them to come here. In the meantime Yehezkel reported that the Commissioner opposes providing escort.

       A "people's guard": Ya'akov [Dori]: [Each] volunteer will donate one workday per month and three nights. For the city of Tel Aviv alone, 7,500 men are needed, for Ramat Gan 2,500, for Petah Tikva - 3,500. In Tel Aviv 450 men will be working at any given time. Recruits will be aged 25 to 45. An enlisted core group of 500 men (two companies) just for Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. Ya'akov thinks this will be a core group for a gendarmerie. I doubt that. The guard is a static force, and a gendarmerie - a mobile [force], some of whom will need to know Arabic and [horseback] riding.  The guard requires housing. There's an RAF recreational camp in North [Tel Aviv] and Sarona.

       - At twelve it's reported: The police suspended vehicle traffic along the Jerusalem - Tel Aviv Road. In Jerusalem a mob set fire to the commercial center. There are wounded. Shots were heard. Vehicles that passed by Ramle were stoned. The army brought two seriously wounded and a few lightly wounded casualties, who were shot at near Ramle, to Tel Aviv.

       I agreed with Yisrael [Galili] that we would suspend vehicle traffic today until transportation can be safeguarded.

       - I sent a message to Kaplan by way of [Moshe] Averbuch, who's flying [to the United States] today, to immediately transfer half a million P£ [here] for defense running costs. I advised Moshe [Sharett] not to travel to London and not to initiate talks with [Arthur] Creech Jones [British secretary of state for the colonies].

       Shlomo [Gur] is demanding P£ 44,884 to start the production under his supervision (with the [chemicals expert] doctor's assistance).

       - [Yosef] Baratz came from Safed. It's a state of panic there; the Arabs have left the Jewish neighborhoods. The Arabs are buying a lot of food supplies. Even those who are friends have stopped speaking with the Jews. Need supplemental personnel. Safed men are stationed at outposts - and working during the day. A supplement from outside will have an effect on the Arabs, even if it's only 20 men.

       - Pino [Ginzburg]: There's confusion [surrounding the delayed departure of the Pans]. I told him about our decision and our message to America. He asked: And small vessels? I said, the letter doesn't apply to small ones.

       [Dov] Benari, Nahum [Shadmi]'s emissary: On November 5 there was a gathering [of the Haganah leaders] in Prague: 24 commanders, 26 invited guests (from the Mossad [le-''Aliya Bet, which handled clandestine immigration], from the Bricha [the organization that managed the flow of Jewish refugees in Europe], Shaul [Avigur], Ephraim [Dekel], [Moshe] Sneh - for two hours). Country reports: There are [branches] in nine countries:

       Germany and Austria - (unified command): In the command staff - 264 men, privates first class (four hours of defense [training]) - 2,054, second class - 600.

       In France: staff command - 288 (including North Africa - 44, who underwent a two-month course in France. About 200 privates), privates first [class] - 238, second class - 1,080 (outside of North Africa).

       Hungary: staff - 243, first class - 150, second - 900.

       Slovakia - staff - 45, first - 198, second - 0.

       Romania: staff - 50, first - 70, second - 700.

       Poland - no Organization, only a staff of 12 men.

       Italy - work was suspended, because there were no men.

       In Romania there's a permanent third [class] school, trains 80-120 squad commanders over the course of six weeks. They select people for guidance (transport [across] borders). There are 52 branches in 52 camps [of Jewish refugees]. Each camp has a branch commander, a local man. There are subdistrict commanders - the SC [subdistrict commander] is Eretz-Israeli. In Germany there are five subdistricts, Austria - a sixth subdistrict.

       They also handle hasbara [explanation, public relations] and produce pamphlets in Yiddish, teach Hebrew and history, and more. The commanders and instructors are a lot like their counterparts in the country. They're being delayed for a year (prevented from making ''aliya). It was difficult to get a footing in Austria, there weren't enough men, the influence of Beitar-ETZEL has increased there. The Innsbruck incident created a shock and increased our activity. The Bachura [presumably Bricha] demanded that they take the Bricha's three outposts: Salzburg, Saalfelden, Innsbruck. This succeeded. They entered Austria. Over the course of four weeks, 14 branches were established in 14 camps, encompassing 700 people. A brochure was issued in Yiddish: "Anu HaHoma" ["We Are the Wall"]. They're translating material from the country. Publishing a booklet by Berger against ETZEL and by Yerehmiel [i.e., Yirmeyahu Ravina] on the history of the Haganah.

       In France the main thing is North Africa. There were no emissaries. Near Toulouse there's a [Haganah] school, although it doesn't operate on a permanent basis. There will be four cycles per year. In the second cycle there were 38 men from North Africa. They went back to their country. They're mostly students from North Africa. In France the Maquis [World War II anti-Nazi French resistance fighters] were screened. There were ETZEL elements among them.

       In Slovakia there's anti-Semitism. Good Jewish youth, something to work with. Two courses were held - yielding 40-50 instructors. In Hungary it's imperative that an underground be formed. The Jews [there] do not know how to be careful and the work is hard. There's a core group of 250 men - although [for the sake of caution] not everyone knows why they're organizing. We lack people who know Hungarian. Our emissaries are not "legal." Trying to establish [a branch of] HaPo'el [sports association?] as a cover.

       In Romania there are 350-400 thousand Jews. Aliya instructors have been readied.

       In Poland there are some 30,000 Jews, not all of them want to come to the country. HeHalutz [a Zionist youth movement that facilitated ''aliya] is concerned that the borders will close. There are few young Eretz-Israelis. They believe [it's advisable] to start with activities in a sports context - and see how the government regards this. There are communist agents in all our youth movements - and our people will be identified immediately.

       - 4 p.m. [Dr. Aryeh] Altman, [Zvi Herman] Segal, and [Baruch] Weinstein came to see me - regarding defense. They want to participate. They have friends in the Irgun [ETZEL] and in light of the new situation they want to be admitted into the Defense Committee and they'll demand that their friends join [the Haganah]. I said that I'll bring the matter to the administration, because two bodies have to decide on this. Segal asked what my personal opinion is. I said: I won't hide it; you're the ETZEL party, and you're fighting the Haganah, judging by Hamashkif [the Revisionist Party's daily newspaper].

       - At five Yehezkel [Sahar] and Reuven [Shiloah] telephoned: They can't come here today. Things are on a slippery slope. The government isn't meeting its obligation. I said that we can't accept their negative answer regarding armed escort, and a ban on transportation [the British had prohibited travel along main intercity roads in order to prevent attacks by Arabs]. This is open support for the Arab Higher Committee. Because yesterday I'd forgotten to ask [the Commissioner] who would provide weapons to the Arabs in Jaffa, Nablus, etc. - they'll bring this question up with the army or the police.

       I asked that a telegraph be sent to Moshe [Sharett] [conveying] the essence of the conversation [with the Commissioner] and a summary of today.

       - I spoke with [Moshe] Sneh during lunch. He wanted a position in the Organization [the Haganah] - organizing the public and the resources, and the like. Now he wants to remain in the country, and is asking what his work [role] will be in the [Jewish Agency] Executive. He doesn't believe in the progressiveness of the ''Aliya Hadasha and Hadassah. The effort to establish a progressive branch isn't serious. Are there four people who could head such a party? He doesn't see them. He doesn't deny that the General Zionists in the country are now a right-wing bloc, that their main concern is protecting private enterprise.

       - [Moshe] Soroka and [Aryeh] Bahir - requesting P£ 40,000 to complete Beit Berl according to its current plan. Need to speak with [Avraham] Granovski [Granot] about a loan of P£ 17,000 for twenty years (to install water, pools, planting trees). Also talk to Keren HaYesod and the APC [Anglo-Palestine Company, predecessor of Bank Leumi] ([APC director general Eliezer] Hoofien). Need to raise the [Beit] Berl project at the party conference.

       - [Dov] Benari continues: Brings up problems: 1) Lack of coordination in the underground [between the Bricha, the Mossad le-''Aliya Bet, and the Haganah]. 2) Contact with the country - who are they subordinate to? 3) Proposed budget - $360,000. I told him this is out of the question; I cannot go beyond $10,000 per month - unless an organization is established in Europe and it helps out financially. 4) A successor for Nahum [Shadmi, Haganah commander in Europe]. 5) Additional emissaries, and emissaries in place of those who are there.

       He proposes transferring the Bricha to the Organization [Haganah]. Wouldn't this resolve the budgetary question? In Benari's view - yes. It's necessary to coordinate with the Mossad. How? The commander will be part of the Mossad. Signal [the clandestine wireless system] doesn't work for the Organization. It's in the hands of the Mossad. There's no signal [communication] from Prague. Nahum [Shadmi] has transferred to Paris now, but here too there's censorship - by Shaul [Avigur, head of the Mossad le-''Aliya Bet]. SHAI [Information Service, i.e., intelligence] was set up - subordinate to Shaul's authority. Need contact with him.

       [We] need a permanent body in the country to be in contact with the Organization [abroad]. The Command appointed Baruch Rabinov [head of the General Staff financial department] to be in contact with Nahum [Shadmi]. Nahum will only stay until January. For North Africa at least three emissaries need to be sent. In Hungary and Romania there are no suitable people - need three Hungarian speakers and two Romanian speakers. Need five people for the staff.

       Where are the emissaries who were sent from here? In Germany and Austria - 24, in France - 3, in Hungary - 3, in Czechoslovakia - 2, in Romania - 6, in Poland - 2, in Italy - 1. In the center - 3 (Nahum, Benari, and a secretary). There are no Hungarian speakers among the emissaries in Germany or other countries and there's only one Romanian speaker.

       The Staff requires: an adjutant, an instructor, planning (2), hasbara.

       - At 7 p.m.: Ya'akov [Dori] regarding appointments [for the Training Bureau in the General Staff]. [Haim] Laskov was under [Moshe] Montag. With Yigael [Yadin]'s entry into planning [i.e., his appointment as head of the Planning Bureau, later the Operations Department], Montag left and a path opened up to Haim. But in Ya'akov's view, H.L. cannot be head of the Training [Bureau]. He wants to appoint Eliahu Cohen as head of the bureau, H.L. as deputy. H.L. agrees, but doesn't accept the professional authority [of Eliahu Cohen].

       - Yehezkel [Sahar] telephoned: The commercial center [in Jerusalem] was burned down, stores were looted, the police stood on the sidelines. Twenty Haganah members were arrested. They won't allow transport [between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv] tomorrow or the next day either, aside from the Haifa route. He demanded I come to Jerusalem, to go to the Commissioner. I told him to go to the first secretary in the meantime. Golda [Meir] isn't in Jerusalem.

       - In Ya'akov [Dori]'s view, internal security in the state will require a gendarmerie of 5,000 men: a mobile force, motorized, part of it mounted, with some artillery and an aerial unit, serving 4-5 years. [As commander], in place of Yitzhak Sadeh, he proposes Lehrer [Moshe Zadok]. He suggests Yitzhak Sadeh as officer of the Youth [Battalions]. I objected to the final point. I requested a discussion on the first proposal.

       - At 8 p.m. Yisrael [Galili]: Proposes sitting down with Munya [Mardor] and Ehud [Avriel] to give them instructions.

       [Yisrael reports that] [Moshe Aryeh] Kurtz [of HaPo'el HaMizrachi] spoke with the ETZEL men. [According to them] they'll remain [an independent organization in order] to shift the border, fight the Arabs. Today they issued a flyer regarding a unified front. Need to respond with a flyer. I suggested a flyer that is not provocative, but is clear: front means authority. One front - one authority. They'll join the "Shura" [Haganah] like any Jew - with equal rights and duties.

       Gad Meknes suggests a flyer on behalf of the Haganah directed at the Arabs. I agreed on the condition that [Eliahu] Sasson have a look at it. He proposes recruiting 300 men and planning a gendarmerie. Continuing to set up camps.

       It was decided to have [personal] protection for three: David Remez, Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion.

       In the evening Munya [Mardor] and Ehud [Avriel]. Instructions: to risk $ 300,000 and to send [the procurement ship] to Tel Aviv. To check whether the Arabs are buying [weapons]. To task someone here [in Eretz Israel] with purchasing.