יומנים > יומן - מלא 06/01/1948

[Tuesday,] January 6, 1948 [Jerusalem]

I went to Jerusalem in the morning. Our boys accompanied me. Nothing happened along the way - we met a convoy of ours returning from Jerusalem - and Arab cars are driving as if nothing happened.

         - Golda reports that the Semiramis incident [an explosion at an Arab youth club in the Semiramis Hotel in Katamon] was carried out without her knowledge or that of Yisrael [Amir, Haganah commander in Jerusalem]. Mishal Shacham did it of his own accord. I summoned M.S.: He reports the he was instructed to carry out actions to open up the Old City, to prevent a departure from neighborhoods and the revocation of instructions [?]. He is required to consult with Yisrael [Amir] and Rudy [Amnon Klein-Zair]. On the matter of the hotel he consulted with both of them two days ago, on Sunday, at 8 p.m. The action was carried out at midnight.

         - In the afternoon I met with the commissioner. I reported on the conversation [with the commissioner] at the [Jewish Agency] Executive meeting.

         - Clarification with Mishal: A week ago he was here and found the mood to be one of despair. There were 300 trained Hayish men, also without firearm training. Jews were fleeing. There's no [way of] holding onto a commercial center because there are no apartments there, just shops. The Jews in Talbiyya wanted to leave. They were told to stay. After the explosion in Katamon [at the Semiramis Hotel] the Arabs began to flee. [Our men are] reinforcing this flight. They're also fleeing from Sheikh Jarrah. Earlier the neighborhood of Shimon HaTzadik - opposite Sheikh Jarrah - emptied out. From the building of the Muslim Council they're shooting at [the neighborhood of] Bet Israel and the traffic to the university. The residents have evacuated the Council building, and there are only snipers there.

         [In Jerusalem] there are about 800 conscripts right now - but only half of them can be deployed. The rest are new recruits.

         - [Zalman] Mart, commander of Battalion A: in charge of northern Jerusalem, up to Hartuv-Motza. In Hartuv there are 16 men - they have Stens, rifles, one [light] machine gun; in West Jerusalem (Bayit Vagan to Giv'at Shaul) - 20 conscripted men, and 20 locals who constitute a reserve. 30 received adequate training, 10 need improvement. In Katamon, Rehavia, Nahla'ot up to Romema - 30 conscripted men. The garrison force only has conscripts during the day. In northern Jerusalem (from Romema up to Sanhedria, Meah She'arim, Shkhunat HaBukharim, Nahalat Shimon etc.) in Romema 15 men, in Sanhedria 10, in Bet Israel and Nahalat Shimon 20 (in ''Atarot and Neve Ya'akov 25). At the university 12 Hayish.

         120 university students serve in Battalion A half a month, and study half a month. Right now studies are completely suspended. There's another reserve company of 15 men (explosives experts) who are not confined [to places of work or study]. Additional non-conscripted Hayish men provide guard duty. If there were an effective garrison force - the conscripted force would be enough, but the garrison force is not effective. In Jerusalem there is a need for dynamic action, shifting from position to position - the garrison force is not trained for this. The armament is inadequate

         - B. Joseph and [Haim] Salomon complain about the hardship in Jerusalem and demand P£ 2,000 to rectify it somewhat.

         - At night prolonged shooting [was heard] in at least two places. [Heavy] machine guns were operating.