יומנים > יומן - מלא 29/12/1948
Wednesday, December 29, 1948
Defense Ministry meeting. The procurements department ([Avraham] Zabar, [Yosef] Yaakovson, [Aharon] Becker, [Yosef] Avidar) along with Teddy [Kollek] and [Avraham] Dickenstein agreed that PPS would be the main instrument for purchases on the condition that there be open credit of 100,000, a loan to the state of half a million, credit of $1 million for providers against government notes. It turns out that it's possible to buy dollars in America and pay in pounds here. Teddy spoke last night with [Eliezer] Kaplan, who agreed to take a loan of $10 million for defense. 2,000 tons of food was collected in America (the army needs about 2,000 tons per month), there's about another thousand tons of rice etc. At the start of January, 500-1,000 tons of frozen meat will be sent from Argentina. According to Teddy, they're collecting gifts (food, clothing, spare parts for vehicles) in America at [a value of] $1 million per month. One Jew in Mexico - [Elias] Sourasky - is prepared to send us meat and rice [worth] a million with payment deferred a year (a million dollars' [worth] of meat lasts four months), prices as in Argentina. Beginning in mid-February or early March there will be meat from abroad. There are also a thousand heads across the border (the cost of foreign meat is P£ 200 per ton, Arab meat - P£ 300. Right now there are meat stocks for a month. We can immediately obtain $3 million against P£ 1 million [which was equivalent to $4 million]. We can also obtain $5 million for five years against government notes.
Hillel [alias for Haim Slavin] reported on production. The July plan is being completed. Since then there haven't been new orders. The direction now is to have everything done in independent factories, where 1,600 are currently employed (1,400 workers are operating "abroad"[?] [involved in overseas manufacturing and procurement?]). They want to establish a few factories in Jerusalem - to make standard parts, they'd employ up to 150 workers [and] also transfer machine equipment there. The first 400 Dror [light machine guns] are being completed. They're preparing 3,000 tons of bombs for the Air Force. In two months there won't be enough brass for bullets. $1 million is needed for raw material. Czech bombs for the Air [Force] cost 2-3 times more than ours, in Italy 1/3 of ours. Slavin wants to produce shells for cannons.
[Yosef] Yizraeli - they're letting us [retain the authority for] expropriation of movables, but they want to take expropriation of lands from the Ministry of Defense. He opposes turning this authority over to another ministry (the Labor Ministry wants it).
[Yosef] Gurion - the department for those afflicted [by the war] and the families of fallen soldiers, which [was] next to the department for the soldier's family, has relocated to the rehabilitation [department]. 500-600 [soldiers] are being discharged monthly (150 of them WC [Women's Corps]) for health reasons. The law on employment preference is being delayed because of financial benefits (grants). I told Gurion not to make one dependent on the other, and to prepare a separate labor rights law. The question of housing for the disabled and discharged is becoming more acute. When I heard that Herut members were making demands, I prohibited Gurion from speaking with ETZEL - it's enough that we're forgetting their crimes; they can't request wages for their misdeeds. There's the question of the letter to be given to those discharged, what rights are being promised to them. The disabled are refusing to be discharged without such a letter. There is also the question of what to do with the army offices [those expropriated on lands that were captured] that are being released [becoming available] - will they be turned over to immigrants, to the army, to the disabled - or to the guardian of abandoned property?
[Levi] Eshkol - [we] can't send people [new immigrants] to the villages, because the settlement people [the guides] who are supposed to accompany the immigrants are not being released [from the army].
Two coastal defense LCI ships [Landing Craft Infantry] have already arrived from America (the British consul photographed them in Marseilles). The third will arrive tonight. One frigate left on the 14th of this month.
Gershon [Zak] says that reportedly all the [Egyptian merchant] ships are being confiscated in Port Said and transferred to Alexandria to be armed.
I summoned [Eliezer] Perlson [Peri] to discuss the role being offered to him. Eshkol established 3 roles: finances, supplies, procurements.
- I summoned [Yisrael] Amir and [Moshe] Zadok to discuss releases [from military service] for the elections - telegraphic instructions were issued to release [soldiers]; at least half have already been released. Fathers of 4 children - 130 were released. Zadok will provide me with a list of those released.
- A cable was received from [Moshe] Dayan (sent this morning at 0530), stating: "Wilhelm [pseudonym for Abdallah al-Tall - apparently a wordplay reference to Wilhelm Tell] telephoned this morning and said that yesterday evening he went to see the king [Abdallah], who appointed him as the king's representative to formulate a peace plan with us. The doctor [Sethi (sp.)] will also join him for the final talks. When their proposal is completed, the king will bring it to the cabinet for approval. If the cabinet rejects it, the king will replace the cabinet, since the king is omnipotent. He suggested already starting the talks tonight. The venue for the talks is Jerusalem, near the no man's land, in buildings of ours and theirs alternatively. I decided that the talks should start tomorrow evening, December 30, at 6:30 p.m. He asked that we bring maps, papers, etc., and arrive in civilian clothing. Tonight was completely quiet in Jerusalem, the Legion soldiers are openly roaming around, away from their positions. Wilhelm is complaining that our soldiers are firing on Bedouins and their flocks on the eastern side of the Jordan around Sheikh Hussein Bridge and around Aadaissah [near Ashdot Ya'akov]. He asked that this be stopped, and I promised him it would be handled."
I consulted with [Eliahu] Sasson, [Ya'akov] Dori, Reuven [Shiloah]. Sasson proposes that Reuven go with Moshe [Dayan]. I made a list of topics - to serve as discussion points when they talk: ''Arava (the previous line [the Mandatory border]), work at the southern Dead Sea, Bet Ha'Arava; Jerusalem [and the road through]: Sheikh Jarrah, the Old City, the railway, Latrun. The Triangle areas, Wadi ''Ara. Annexation [of the West Bank] or an independent state. Gush Etsiyyon. Reparations. Naharayim. Release of POWs.
At this time we'll only notify [James] McDonald here - and not [Eliahu] Elath in America. On Monday afternoon - two days ago [December 27] - M. Maklef met with Chief of Staff Tawfiq Salim in Lebanon. The latter asked if we'll clear out of the villages, [and] M.M. replied: Yes, as soon as talks on an armistice begin. The chief of staff said that he has no authority in the matter, and he'll bring it to his superiors. If they agree, he'll issue instructions [to retreat?] 48 (or 72 hours) [in advance].
Tomorrow we'll summon Walter [Eytan], [Shabtai] Rosenne, [Eliahu] Sasson, Reuven [Shiloah], Dori, Dolik [regarding peace talks with Jordan]. Sasson will open [the meeting]. But at the end of the meeting I'll formulate instructions for the committee.
- In the afternoon government meeting, and then a joint meeting with the [Jewish] Agency regarding the UJA. [Shlomo Zalman] Shragai proposed sending a joint telegram to both sides. I objected to sending such a telegram, unless the first telegram to one side is revoked, because it means granting approval to the first cable. [Dr. Israel] Goldstein also objected "as this entails approval of the opposition," and he advised [Eliezer] Kaplan to send such a cable… There hasn't been such a pathetic Agency [Executive] in a long time. [Aharon] Zisling suggested sending Yisrael Idelson [Bar-Yehuda] to America…
- Ramallah Radio announced that the Security Council decided, by 10 votes, to call for a ceasefire in the Negev.
A telephone cable from the front reports that they found five Egyptian planes in an abandoned airfield and requested that pilots come to take them.
- Paul [Shulman] came to see me: There are three Egyptian warships. They can be sunk. Should [we] do this?