יומנים > יומן - מלא 26/12/1947

Jordan springs - and we need to prepare. Preventing the disaster requires about P£ 1,500. I told him to make all the preparations immediately. All the Galilee residents (except for Safed and Tiberias) received a shot against cholera.

       - Binyamin [Gibli] and David Karon [both from SHAI] from the Negev: Two days ago in the morning four automobiles left Be'eri to repair the pipeline. They saw 3 Arabs, two of them armed, who were shifting aside. They told them to stop and approach. One of them aimed his rifle at them. The two tried to flee. They shot them, killed them, took the two rifles. One of these was the rifle stolen on the 12th of this month from the fields watchman of [the moshav] Tkuma [today - Sharsheret] (they recognized the number), and ten bullets in each rifle. They returned to Be'eri (David Karon - 4 months in the Negev. Binyamin - a year).

       The incident at Gvulot stunned the Negev (Bedouins). They feared the Jews' response. On the following day [in fact, two days later] the Mishmar HaNegev incident took place. [Members of the] Azazme [tribe] murdered them.

       Why were the Negev people opposed to a response? - Because they weren't ready - in terms of equipment, supply reserves, etc. - to absorb the Arabs' blow after the response. The means of transport were bad.

       What was the impact of not responding among the Bedouins? - It created an impression of Jewish weakness. They've already dismantled 600 meters of pipeline north of Tze'elim. A son of the pipeline watchman - a teacher in Shu'ot - participated in the murder of the Gvulot members.

       In the meantime 100 Hayish men, a Palmach company, and weapons arrived (without equipment, without beds, shoes, clothes, blankets, tents).

       At daylight on Monday this week a large force set out to repair the pipeline - an airplane from Tel Aviv flew over the pipeline - about sixty men (security personnel and workers) repaired about 450 meters [of dismantled pipeline] and the holes in other places. There was no disruption by Arabs. On Tuesday they finished the rest with the same force. When they returned they found more instances of sabotage again in the north caused by gunshots [in the pipeline] - opposite the ''Imara police [near Tkuma]. On Wednesday they set out to repair these holes - and encountered the three Arabs, killed them, and returned to their base.

       How is the pipeline protected? - It would be possible to build bunkers, but this is a public road, and the government won't allow it. There was a plan to sabotage the [Arabs' water] wells - but there is opposition to this because it will spark outrage. Another way - to hold the residents on both sides of the "western" pipeline personally responsible. The Bedouin here number about 20,000, living only on crop agriculture, they have no livestock. The land here is fertile.

       Is a peace agreement possible? - Gibli doubts it. Although there were no attacks in the area of Nirim - Tze'elim, because the Jewish populace is "dense" and Jewish traffic never stopped.

       How much Jewish force is needed to hold onto the Negev? - The Palmach hasn't received appropriate training. They learned to invade, strike, and flee. They ran into ambushes once - they were fired upon, [then] they fired and got out of there (put simply - fled). The same happened in a few other cases. But if they receive encouragement - they'll be able to overcome this. The weakness is in the [Negev military] staff - it doesn't have enough force to control the situation (there are five men in the staff) - for lack of organizational skill. An experienced administrator is required. A "military governor" is needed - to relieve the headquarters of concern regarding supplies, transport, and finances.

       What's the manpower necessary to keep the Negev ours? - The current manpower - 500 military personnel (aside from the men of the settlements, with ties to the place) is sufficient, if they have the other things, and personnel reserves in the northern settlements, at least another two companies (300 men). The rest of the things are weapons and means of transport.

       There's army [British soldiers] near Bet Eshel, Nevatim, and elsewhere. There are a few (5-6) columns with tanks - each column - 50 men.

       Regarding a response - no response to the past [actions], and least of all against Shu'ot (near Gvulot), because in that case we were the instigators. No attacking Beersheva because it's the junction of the south (Gaza, Hebron, etc.). Need to attack the family members of Haj Salameh ibn Said, deputy mayor of Beersheva, and his brother, and the Beersheva - Gaza, Beersheva - Hebron traffic.

       Is it possible to find allies? - Yes, Sheikh Suleiman al-Huzail (Near Shoval), Sheikh Abu Jaber (northern part of the Faluja road).

       - Vilenchuk and Yohanan [Ratner]: Novomeysky agreed to do the work [making explosives at the potash company] - this will [ostensibly] be an order for HaMashbir. Preparing the factory will take some time. When it's operational - it will provide 20 tons per month. The personal [anti-personnel] mine will not be made by Shevah [Slavin] - he's busy. It will be made by a number of factories. [Naftali] Schneerson will work on this. The first order is for 10,000. The product will be done in five weeks. The order for bottles [Molotov cocktails] will be issued today - for 50,000. Regarding the PIAT - he'll receive the model, and it will be produced like the mines - at different factories. [Anti-personnel blast] landmines - will be sorted out tomorrow.

       - In the afternoon I asked to see the RAF resort camp [the British air force base in northern Tel Aviv], which the Haganah organization and the Aliya Department are fighting over. It has about 36 barracks. About ten policemen's families have settled here. The Ksut Horef warehouses and Hadassah warehouses and parents' committee (?) have also taken up residence here, as well as a school for children with defects. About ten days ago Hayish personnel came in. In the men's opinion it's possible to fence off a corner to the left of the entrance for refugees [evacuees from outlying neighborhoods], so that the corner will be fenced off and closed.

       - In the afternoon a delegation of [Haim] Ariav and [Yosef] Sapir. Gad Meknes is complaining that there's no coordination among the Arab policy managers. They were told that the Histadrut is pressuring (government) bureaucrats to join the Histadrut - otherwise they won't employ them in the state. This morning they heard that a Negev committee was formed. Why wasn't this done by the Defense Committee? And why the separation? An economic committee is needed to coordinate economic activities. Why is there no censorship of the press? They also want a representative of the farmers' union at the recruitment center.