יומנים > יומן - מלא 07/12/1948

Tuesday, December 7, 1948

[Giora] Josephtal: On December 5, 1948, there were 17,000 people at the [immigrant] camps (about 6,000 men and the same number of women, 5,000 children). Ages? [He] doesn't know, only has [the information] from two weeks ago. The Mossad [le-''Aliya] estimates that over the course of December, 32,500 will arrive; Josephtal estimates only 25,000. 3,000 Yemenites will also be arriving from Aden, by airplane, 55 per plane, 2 planes per day, at the expense of the Joint [Distribution Committee]. 23,000 people will need housing, and with the people in the camps now (17,000) that comes to 40,000. Over the course of the month, 10,000 people will leave the camps, so the number of people in the camps at the end of 1948 [will be] 30,000; the camps' capacity is 25,000. He's therefore requesting the St. Lucas (in west Haifa), Jalame [east of Haifa], and Peninsular Barracks [in Bat Galim] camps. St. Lucas is not an option because there's an Air Force [should be: Navy] school there. I promised to clarify the possibilities of the Barracks and Jalame immediately.

       Dr. [Aryeh] Altman came to see me: The American fundraising campaign [United Jewish Appeal] is releasing funds to political parties for their needs in the country. Their [the Revisionist Party's] situation is difficult because a large wave of immigrants has arrived, and they had to give away some of their organizational money for immigrants' needs. And he wants either a loan or instructions to America to give them the same amounts as other parties. I told him why I cannot become involved in matters of the UJA in America, and it's better that he wait until after [Dr. Israel] Goldstein [UJA chairman] arrives.

       - Yigael [Yadin] (11:30 a.m.): Yesterday the Egyptians set out [launched an attack] with 22 tanks. 5 tanks were entirely disabled. We have 4 killed and more than 20 wounded. 2 of our cannons (6-pounders) were also entirely disabled. Golani's infantry and an armored battalion of the 8th Brigade [Battalion 89] are fighting.

       - Altman proposed a joint election ticket headed by me for the Constituent Assembly - without the extremities (Herut and Mapam). I replied: 1) I'm not addressing the elections yet, although I recognize their importance, 2) I do not think this proposal is desirable or feasible, 3) in any event I won't handle this.

       - In the afternoon a reception for the opening of HaGvura [Bravery] (bombastic name!) Road, and in the evening the opening of the Histadrut council. Two wonderful occasions.