יומנים > יומן - מלא 18/10/1948

[Monday,] October 18, 1948

Ezra [Omer] reports that during the night we captured Kawkaba, along the Julis-Hulayqat line. We cleared out the relics of the Egyptians at Giv'a [Hill] 113. The Egyptians who were there fled. Yigal assumes that we also captured Hulayqat, although later he telephoned me [to say] that during the night we attacked Hulayqat and were repelled with losses.

       I demanded that the raid battalion [Battalion 89] be brought to the south, because time is limited and we should "strike" with full force. Aside from capturing the route to the Negev, we must plan to destroy Gaza. Yigal is unequivocally opposed. He thinks the Iraqis will attack us. A reciprocal exchange of information was established between Iraq and Egypt, and the Iraqis issued an order to have 10 buses ready in each brigade.

       The plan for tonight - after consultation with Ya'akov [Dori] - was to strike Hulayqat, Iraq-Manshiyya, and the Egyptian strongholds from the south, between Iraq-Manshiyya and Karatiyya, and if we have the strength - to capture Beersheva. If Iraq-Manshiyya and the surroundings and Hulayqat fall into our hands - then tomorrow we'll take action against Gaza, if the Security Council doesn't intervene in the meantime. For now the English are apparently pleased by the blows being meted out to the Egyptians.

       I briefed the government members on the situation (11 a.m.).

       At 4 it's reported that Beit Tima is in our hands. A battalion from Yiftah attacked Hulayqat in the night - and was repelled with losses.

       - [Dr.] Sasha Goldberg, who returned from abroad yesterday, came to see me. First I asked him about the disabled. His reply: Both [prosthetic] arms and [prosthetic] legs can be manufactured. He signed a contract with two factories because there's a matter of specialization; one only makes arms and one only makes legs. Gillis is helping him. A few Jews who gave money for this were found in England, P£ 10-15,000, to establish a factory here. Solel-Boneh [a cooperative Jewish labor company for public works, construction, and industry] will participate in this (so promised Hillel Dan, who's in Geneva). In two days an English expert will arrive to measure legs, for those who are already ready. The manufacture of prosthetic legs will take 6-10 weeks. If they make up to fifty in England, there won't be a problem with valuta [currency exchange]. There's government authorization for the export of merchandise and apparatuses. And as to arms - this doesn't require an English expert. Goldberg brought all the relevant charts with him, and a doctor from Kupat Holim [the healthcare network] will take the measurements (the charts have already been delivered to [Eliezer] Levin-Epstein), and the prosthetics will also be made in England over the course of 4-6 weeks. These are easier to make. By the end of 1948 the equipment and raw material necessary for half a year will arrive here.

       [They're] prepared to grant visas to four people to go to England and learn this craft. Two months will suffice to learn the trade.

       In England a few prosthetic factories have shut down, because the government is the only one placing orders, and it provides for anyone in need free of charge. The one that will come here is the best factory (Hangers), [and] the expert who will come is named Wells.

       And as to war equipment: [Yisrael] Dickenstein (whom Goldberg praises greatly) discovered a warehouse of American rockets from 1942-1943, more than 50,000, that were given to Italy in order not to be sold as weapons, including: 1) 3", range of a kilometer, explosive load 1½ kilograms, 2) 4½" - range 4 kilometers, 3) 5" - range 4 kilometers, shell of 25 pounds. Each costs $ 7-8 (new $ 75).

       Have they tested them? - No, Goldberg is certain that after testing they'll be good. Of the first type there are 15,000, of the second type 22,000, of the third type 15,000. Goldberg recommends buying 15,000 - necessarily of all types. They'll arrive in two weeks, if we buy immediately.

       [Yisrael] Dickenstein reported that 1,200 bazookas are en route. Bought by Dickenstein, they'll arrive in two weeks. There are also aerial bombs - Dickenstein has already sent 400 tons of bombs, without TNT - which had to be removed from the bomb. A ton costs $ 250, less than the cost of the steel. Dickenstein also found 20 mm rounds for Hispano-Suiza [cannons], 70 cents each round.

       Sidney Goldstein, aeronautics advisor to the British Cabinet, is prepared to come here and teach mathematics at the Technion.

       - [Dr. Aryeh] Altman came to see me. He was approached by a LEHI member who wants to prove to us that it's possible to eliminate LEHI of their own will [rather than by trials and prison sentences]. I told him that they're cheaters, and this time they must prove their sincerity. Have someone prominent and authorized come [to us], to answer every question without equivocating - he'll be assured that we won't use any information provided to us against them, and if we're convinced of their sincerity - then we'll see.

       - At 4 [1600] Reuven [Shiloah] brought me a letter from the UN representative, who, in writing, proposes a four-day ceasefire to allow Israel and Egypt peacefully to sort out the problems that arose in light of the truce. I advised replying - that we're prepared to meet with the Egyptians to sort out the problems in the Negev, and if we're asked orally, to add that only after the arrangement - will we cease fire. I requested that other [government] members be asked their opinion - [they] reached [Eliezer] Kaplan, [Peretz] Bernstein, [David] Remez, [Yitzhak] Gruenbaum, [Pinchas] Rosenblüth. They agreed.

       At six Reuven telephoned me [to say] that according to the newspapers Egypt accepted the UN representative's demand.

       Yigael [Yadin] returned late, at 10 (22), from the front. The news from the front is "mixed." Last night a Yiftah battalion attacked Hulayqat and was repelled with losses. The precise number is not known. The enemy in Deir Suneid [south of Yad Mordechai] received an order to breach our wedge at any cost, but wasn't successful. 60 cars came down from Bethlehem to Beit Jubrin. It's not clear whether these are supplies for the Egyptians who are cut off or reinforcement of the Mufti's forces.

       Yisrael Carmi [the raid battalion] is operating in the Negev - carrying out sabotage actions. At Giv'a [Hill] 113 we took 15 tracked vehicles, PIATs, a lot of winter clothing (our battalion put it on). About 250 Egyptians were killed. The Egyptian 9th Battalion was destroyed, an Egyptian soldier remains on the hill and is continuing to shoot using a

Vickers [heavy machine gun], this time - to our advantage. POWs say that the officers fled.

       A convoy of ours will head out in sixty automobiles by way of Julis-Kawkaba to Bror Hayil. They again discussed the plan for tonight and made a few changes to the plan that was adopted in the morning: they won't go to Iraq-Manshiyya; instead a Givati battalion will go to Iraq-Suweidan, [and] Pundak [Oded Brigade] will go to the strongholds between Iraq-Suweidan and Faluja, from the south.

       Only tomorrow will they go to take Hulayqat and Iraq-Manshiyya - if tonight they succeed in taking Iraq-Suweidan. Zvi [Ayalon, commander of the Center ("Merkaz") Front] will go with Harel to Beit Jamal and Deir al-Hawa. (The Egyptians are about to attack Khirbet a-Ra'i, next to Beit Jubrin, which is in our hands). Moshe [Dayan] will set out from Miss Carey [above ''Ein Kerem]. Many residents are fleeing. They're parking in the fields. There's also movement in Latrun. Women and children left ''Imwas. Givati's mood is good, Yitzhak [Sadeh, 8th Brigade]'s is bad, Yiftah's is not good…

       It's clear that we still don't have soldiers. Our boys are excellent, and they're good Zionists, but not yet soldiers.