Wednesday, February 25, 1948
The fortifications plan:
Plan A - P£ 1,000,500 of which 270,000 for the Negev, 250,000 for the Upper Galilee, 980,000 for the rest of the country.
Plan B - ["small-scale"] only 250,000 for the rest of the country (770,000 in total).
[To be established] by level of urgency: A) Special area. B) Regular area in a special region. C) Regular area in a regular region.
Three phases of implementation: A) Fencing, completion of existing posts, and communication trenches. B) Completion of a defensive system as per the full plan, including telephone communication, lighting, etc. C) Safeguarding the population and its needs (?), fortified inner area, etc.
In areas of Level A urgency - three phases will be implemented. In B areas - two phases will be implemented, A-B, in C areas - only phase A.
The Kinneret subdistrict (Shimon) has 33 areas, for all of area A - 4,000, of which A - 11, B - 12 (3,000), C - 10 (2,500).
Gilboa subdistrict (Binyamin)
22
(4,000)
13
(3,000)
5
(1,500)
4
Jezreel (Levy)
39
(2,000)
13
(2,500)
13
(1,000)
13
Haifa area
4
(3,500)
4
Samaria subdistrict (Naftali)
18
(?)
(3,000)
7
(1,000)
14
(?)
Hefer (Gad)
29
6
4
19
Sharon (Asher)
16
6
10
North TA [Tel Aviv] (Ha'Ayin)
19
4
1
14
RL [Rishon LeZion] (Efraim?)
19
1
18
Gezer Gershon
21
13
8
Tel Hai Oren
13
20
13
Western Galilee
27
14
13
Jerusalem District
13
8
5
For all of area A in the Kinneret, Gilboa, Jezreel subdistrict[s] - P£ 4,000, for area B in Kinneret and Gilboa 3,000, for area C in the Kinneret 2,500, for area B in Jezreel 2,500, for area C in Gilboa 1,500, for area C in Jezreel, Samaria, Hefer, Sharon, North TA - 1,000, in area C RL 1,500, in area B Jezreel 2,500, in area B Hefer and North TA 1,500, in area B Gezer 3,000, in area A Jerusalem District 8,000, in area B Jerusalem 5,000, in area A Western Galilee 8,000, in area C WG [Western Galilee] 2,000.
In all of the A areas - 1,213,000, B 140,000, C 144,000, in total 1,500,000. In the event they only carry out plan B (250,000 for the entire country other than the Galilee and the Negev) they propose: for the Kinneret subdistrict 20,000, for Gilboa 28,000, for Jezreel 19,000, for the Haifa area 5,000, for Samaria 10,000, for Hefer 10,000, for Sharon 11,000, for North TA 7,000, for RL 8,000, for Gezer 27,000, for the Jerusalem District 35,000, for the city of Jerusalem 10,000, for BA [?] 10,000, for Haifa 10,000 for Western Galilee 40,000.
The settlements by degree of urgency: A - in the Kinneret subdistrict - 4,000 each (in Hukok, Tel Or, ''Ein Gev, Naharayim, Sha'ar HaGolan, Masada, [Yavne'el], Bet Kesher, Ilaniya, Tira, in total 44,000[)]. In the Gilboa subdistrict 4,000 each: Avuka, Bet Yosef, Maoz, Harmonim, Neve Eitan, Kefar Ruppin, ''Ein HaNatziv, Tirat Zvi, Sde Eliyahu, Tel Amal, Bet Alfa, Sde Nahum (in total 52,000). For the Jezreel subdistrict (4,000 each): Tel Adashim, Afula, Dovrat, Ginegar, Kefar HaHoresh, Ramat HaShofet, Dalya, ''Ein HaShofet, Mishmar HaEmek, ''Ein HaEmek, Ramat HaShnayim, HaZore'a, Ramat Yitzhak (in total 52,000); the Haifa area (3,500 each): Bet Oren, Ye'arot HaCarmel, Atlit, Neve Yam (in total 14,000). Samaria subdistrict (3,000 each): Shfeya, Tel Tzir [should be: Tel Katzir], Bat Shlomo, Giv'at Ada, Nivraha [?], Kefar Glikson (in total 21,000); Hefer subdistrict (2,500 each) HaMaf'il, HaOgen, Kadima, Bnei Ge'ulim, Kefar Yona, Kefar Yavetz (in total 15,000); the Sharon (4,000 each): Ramat HaKovesh, Kalmania, Kefar Saba, Yarkona, Tel Yehoshua, Tzofit (in total 24,000); North TA (2,000 each): Ef'al, Kefar Ono, Migdal Tzedek, Kefar Sirkin.
Western Galilee: (8,000 each) Matzuva, Eilon, Hanita, Yehiam, Evron, ''Ein Sara, Regba, Kefar Hasidim, ''Ein HaMifratz, Shefar''am, Kefar Ata, Shkhunat HaTeimanim, Na'aman, Ramat Yohanan (in total 112,000); the Jerusalem area (8,000 each): Neve Ilan, ''Atarot, Neve Ya'akov, Hartuv, [Kefar] Etsiyyon, Revadim, ''Ein Tzurim, Massuot Yitzhak (in total 64,000); RL and Be'er Ya'akov P£ 3,000.
Area B - (Kinneret subdistrict, 3,000 each - in total 36,000) Ginossar, Tiberias, Kefar Hittin [Hittim], Mitzpe, Afikim, Menahemia, Ashdot-Ya'akov, Shorashim, Sharona, Moshavat Kinneret, Kefar Tavor, Gilboa (3,000 each, in total 15,000) Heftziba, Mesilot, ''Ein Harod, Zera'im, Tel Yosef, Jezreel (2,500 each, in total 32,500) Mizra, Balfouria, Kibbutz Merhavia, Moshav Merhavia, Nahalal, Shomron, Bet She'arim, Elyakim, Sha'ar HaAmakim, Giv'ot Zaid, Kiryat Amal, Jeida, Yokne'am.
Hefer (1,500 each, in total 6,000) Tzur Moshe, Even Yehuda, Herut, ''Ein Vered.
North TA (1,500 each, in total 1,500). Giv'at Rambam; Gezer (3,000 each, in total 24,000): Hafetz Haim, Bitzaron, Na'an, Mazkeret Batya, Giv'at Brenner, Hatzor, Kefar Warburg, the Jerusalem area (5,000 each, in total 25,000): Kiryat ''Anavim, Ma'ale HaHamisha, Motza, Arza, Ramat Rahel.
Area C - Kinneret subdistrict (2,500 each, in total 15,000): Migdal, Kvutzat Kinenret, Degania A-B, Bet Zera, Mishmar Shlosha, Bet Gan, Alumot, Kefar Kisch, Shadmot Dvora. Gilboa subdistrict (1,500 each, in total 6,000) Kefar Yehezkel, Geva, Bet HaShita, Moledet. Jezreel subdistrict (1,000 each, in total 13,000) Kefar Gidon, Ramat David, Sarid, Gvat, Kefar Baruch, Kefar Yehoshua, HaSharon, Havat Stock, Elro'i, Kiryat Haroshet, Sde Ya'akov.
Samaria subdistrict (1,000 each, in total 14,000): Kefar Brandeis, Zikhron, Binyamina, ''Ein Iron, Karkur, ''Ein Shemer (?), Pardes Hannah, Hadera, Sdot Yam, Heftziba, Neve Haim, Gan Shmuel.
Hefer subdistrict (1,000 each, in total 19,000), ''Ein HaHoresh, Giv'at Haim, Kefar HaRoeh, Elyashiv (?), Bet HaLevi, Bet Yitzhak, Kefar Haim, Netanya, Shkhunat Po'alim Netanya, Shkhunat Geva Netanya, Avihayil, Kefar Vitkin, Dotan, Ma'abarot, Kefar Ziv, Kefar Hess, Tel Yitzhak, Kefar Netter.
The Sharon subdistrict (1,000 each, in total 10,000) Magdiel, Kefar Malal, Bnei Am, Ramatayim, Giv'at Hen, Ramot HaShavim, Ra'anana, Herzliya, Shefayim, Yakum, Ramat HaSharon, Rishpon, Kefar Shmaryahu, Gan Shlomo, Gan Rashal, Glil Am, Hadar, Ramat Hadar, Gan Litvinsky (?).
North TA (1,000 each, in total 14,000): Ramat Gan, Tel Binyamin, Nahalat Yitzhak, Bnei Brak, Ramat Yitzhak, Shkhunat Borochov, Kefar Azar, Tel Litvinsky, Petah Tikva, Kefar Ganim, ''Ein Ganim, Kefar Avraham, Kiryat Aryeh.
The RL subdistrict (1,500 each, in total 22,000) RL, Ezra Uvitzron, Nahalat Yehuda, Neta'im, Bet Magen, NZ [Ness Ziona], Bet Oved, Ayanot, Tirat Shalom, Kefar Aharon, Rehovot, Gibton, Marmurak, Gan Shlomo, Ramat Aharon, Ma'ayan Havatzelet, Kefar Bilu.
Western Galilee (2,000 each, in total 26,000) Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Shmuel, Kiryat Yam, Motzkin, Bialik, Frostig, Shkhunat Eisenberg, Kiryat Nahum, Kiryat Binyamin, ''Ein HaMifratz, Usha, Kefar Maccabi, Kefar Masaryk, Mishmar HaYam, Nahariya (?), Shave Tsiyyon (?), Yagur, Nesher, Kefar HaNoar HaDati.
Clearly some of the areas that appear in area C in terms of urgency need to be moved to area A - such as Nahariya, Shave Tsiyyon, maybe also ''Ein HaMifratz, Kefar Masaryk. Maybe also Usha.
All of the Western Galilee should be included as part of the Upper Galilee, and immediate authorization should be given for the implementation of the first phase for all areas of urgency of level A (the Galilee 250,000, the Western Galilee 138,000 - in total, 388,000, phase A in all the A areas of the rest -?) All the A[-level] urgency area (other than the Negev) P£ 943,000.
Two alternative proposals: allocation of 250,000 throughout the country (other than Eastern G [Galilee] and the Negev) - or 980,000 for this territory.
Urgency A
B Complete Plan
Subdistrict
A
Settlements
Sum
Total
Kinneret
20,000
11
44,000
12
36,000
6
15,000
33
95,000
Gilboa
28,000
13
52,000
5
15,000
4
6,000
22
73,000
Jezreel
19,000
13
52,000
13
32,000
13
13,000
39
97,500
Haifa area
5,000
4
14,000
4
14,000
Samaria
10,000
7
21,000
14
14,000
18
35,000
Hefer
10,000
6
15,000
4
6,000
19
19,000
29
40,000
Sharon
11,000
6
24,000
10
10,000
16
34,000
North TA
7,000
4
8,000
1
1,500
14
14,000
19
23,000
RL
8,000
1
3,000
18
27,000
19
30,000
Gezer
27,000
13
58,000
8
24,000
21
82,000
Jerusalem District
35,000
8
64,000
5
25,000
13
89,000
Jerusalem
10,000
1
50,000
50,000
TA
10,000
1
50,000
50,000
For Haifa
10,000
1
50,000
50,000
Western Galilee
40,000
14
112,000
13
26,000
27
138,000
Total
250,000
103
693,000
48
140,000
111
144,000
180,000
Eastern G [Galilee]
30
250,000
Negev
270,000
1,500,000
- I spoke with [Emanuel] Shahar from Betzer [the Haganah's fortification service] (there are additional departments: Planning (Zalman [?], Shahar, Kozlowski [P. Sapir]), Implementation, Economics[)]. The proposed ("grand") plan is the minimum according to him, and doesn't include labor and other essential things.
In his opinion [fortification of] the Western Galilee is more urgent than the Eastern; there's difficulty [finding] workers. Bringing laborers from Tel Aviv would cost P£ 2.60 per day. The Eastern Galilee requires 410 workers for six weeks (280 [manual laborers], 130 professionals); the Western Galilee requires 210 workers (150 [manual laborers] 60 professionals) for three weeks. The professionals require P£ 12.26 per day (!) The necessary material [-] barbed wire, iron beams, cement, wood, sheet metal, sandbags, telephones (for outposts), armoring for garrison force vehicles. 5 tons of barbed wire are required per kilometer. They acquired 250 tons of military barbed wire from Kiryat Motzkin, 25 lira [P£] per ton. I'll get the details from Kaverspik [?]or Kozlowski.
It's necessary to establish labor brigades for fortifications and national services (railway, port, etc.). To date 25,000 men and women have reported for duty, for full conscription there are about 12,000. We instructed Shkolnik [Eshkol] to handle the recruitment of labor brigades with the assistance of military engineers (Haimovich [sp.] [Dov Givon] and others).
[We] need to buy folding bridges. A meter costs P£ 20-30. Solel Boneh bought 500 meters. I authorized another purchase of 500 meters. [We] also need to buy PSP [perforated steel plates for airfields]. They're demanding P£ 30,000 to expand the airfield in Tel Aviv. The defense [budget] cannot be used, but the city and the Mobilization Fund should be involved.
- From four to seven I consulted with Zabrasky and Shkolnik [Eshkol] on budgetary needs for the coming weeks. I clarified the budgetary system: There's no need first to collect the funds in the [Jewish Agency's] Security Department treasury, then transfer them to the "Organization" [Haganah] treasury, and from there distribute them for various needs. Instead, the budget for the air fleet [air force] will be transferred to the air fleet treasurer, for personnel upkeep, to the Staff treasury, for equipment - to "buyers," for fortifications - to the person responsible for Betzer, and so on. [Baruch] Rabinov [head of the financial department] will receive the running budget for the "Organization" and in due time - this position will be completely eliminated.
Zabrasky is not pleased with my demand that allocations require written approval, and he's planning to resign.
We clarified the main needs through the end of March:
Fortifications will require a million. I suggested that we allocate a quarter in cash, and the rest on credit, from August of this year until October 1949. Shkolnik [Eshkol] is prepared to seek half a million in credit. Even if he succeeds, I doubt we'll be able to provide more than a quarter of a million.
Vehicles will require 150,000, production 80, chemical production 75, Ta'as 40, upkeep of 15,000 men about 375, personal equipment and housing 100. This is close to a million. Zabrasky believes the sum will reach 1.5 million. According to Zabrasky, the forecasted amounts of income are: 300 from the in-country loan, 300 from the UJA, 50 from Kofer HaYishuv, 150 from abroad, 100 from KKL (for the Negev) - about 900,000.