יומנים > יומן - מלא 27/08/1948

Friday, August 27, 1948

A delegation of journalists opposed to the censorship for interfering in political issues. They gave examples of perplexing conduct in the "Betzer" Operation (siccing dogs, etc.).

       - A delegation of the Yemenites [Association] (Sa'adia Kobashi, Yosef Cohen, Shimon Garidi) came to see me. They're complaining about discrimination in the committees, the apparatus, demanding that Sa'adia Kobashi be appointed director of a department in one of the ministries, demanding a representative in the religious service, and objecting to the appropriation of a Torah study school at 5 Kalisher Street

for the purpose of a recruitment office. Shimon Garidi, the secretary, promised to give me a list of educated young men for appointments.

       - At 11:30 Defense Committee. Again there was a debate about 1917-year-olds [should be - 17-year-olds, those born in 1931]. A few of the Committee members apparently told parents that there was no Defense Committee decision, and a delegation of parents came to clarify what the Defense Committee had decided.

       We discussed a remuneration law for the army.

       - I dined with Rose Halprin [leader of Hadassah women]. We clarified "separation," "transfer," and the situation in America. In her opinion Hayim Greenberg [Labor Zionist representative] should remain in America, otherwise she'll be the only one in the Executive [representing her stance], and the two members from ZOA [Zionist Organization of America, right-wing representatives] will do whatever they want. She asks that the arrangements in America be done with the Americans' knowledge. In this she's right.

       - Staff meeting in the afternoon.

       [Elimelech] Avner returned from Nazareth. They're willing to sell the pipelines (necessary to bring water from Rosh Ha'Ayin to Hulda for Jerusalem). 300 Arab workers from Nazareth will relocate to near Lod for the harvest of olive [tree]s held by the Finance [Ministry] ([Dov] Shafrir [Custodian of Absentees' Property]). The army will watch over the Arab workers.

       According to [Baruch] Rabinov the composition of soldiers in terms of family status is 45,190 unmarried (66%), married without children 8,106 (12.2%), married women 601 (0.15%), married with one child 9,856 (14.2%), with two children 5,010 (7.5%), with 3 children 372 (0.1%), with 4 children 107 - total 69,242.

       Under the remuneration proposal, monthly payments [to soldiers' families] will cost P£ 581,906.