יומנים > יומן - מלא 24/12/1947
[Wednesday,] December 24, 1947
Yisrael [Galili] and Ya'akov [Dori]: The RAF camp [today - Independence Park in Tel Aviv] was bought by the municipality, and the municipality is using parts of it. We require the rest in Ya'akov's view, and he can't concede anything for the Aliya Center. Sarona by itself will not suffice [for Haganah units].
The organizational budget has to be increased because now the battalions and brigades are not units for training but rather for action, and the staffs have to be increased. By May [the end of the Mandate] we need to have 15,000 recruits. Over the course of 10-15 days we'll put together a plan for the needs of all units - in terms of command, vehicles, equipment - and the remaining apparatus [organizational staff]. The Palmach's needs have also increased - because most of them are now not engaged in working or training, but only in action (Fritz, Ben-Artzi, Boganov [Barnea], and Aharonov are working on the plan). The [military] staffs have to be increased immediately. Instead of an apparatus of 5 [men] in a brigade, 25 will be needed. Tonight Ya'akov will tell me the number of men [conscripts] for this month.
The difficulty is that most of these men work for wages elsewhere. [We] need total conscription. In my opinion conscripts should only receive [wages] in accordance with rank in the "Organization," or else there will be demoralization. But, if possible, the employer will pay the difference; at least - he'll be guaranteed a workplace after he finishes his military service. The Defense Committee needs to determine the system. In the meantime a small committee will prepare a proposal (Nemirovsky [Mordechai Namir], from the Manufacturers' Association, and others).
Aviation: The apparatus has to be prepared. For now P£ 3,314 per month is required (upkeep of 52 men - P£ 1,768, gasoline, oil, and parts for 500 flight hours per month - P£ 1,000, 14 other workers - P£ 546).
Production: Yosef Rochel [Avidar] ordered mines, teargas bottles [bombs], PIAT from Vilenchuk. According to Ya'akov, [they're] not ready yet. Need to bring together Vilenchuk and Slavin, and Vilenchuk and Shlomo [Gur] and Yosef [Avidar].
Fortification: Montag [Moshe Mann] has a plan for 325 thousand liras [P£] - for the entire country, aside from the western Negev. List A P£ 228 [thousand], List B - about 100,000. The plan doesn't include strategic fortifications (of Y. S. [per Yitzhak Sadeh's plan]) but rather the protection of positions: including barbed wire, [sand]bags and concrete positions, lighting, internal telephones.
In my view it's imperative to have a naval connection to the south and north through fast motorboats, a boat for 50 men with food and equipment, [which will operate] for an official company [such as] Nahshon. [Need to] telegraph Alon [Yehuda Arazi] to have him consult with Davidke [David Nameri] [regarding the types of boats].
- [Zeev] Isserzon: Need to set a date for the [Mapai] conference; [he wants] to know when Moshe [Sharett] is arriving. I'll telegraph him. Four committees were established in the party: 1) for settlement and irrigation (Weitz, Herzfeld, Shkolnik, Gvati, S. Dayan, and others). 2) development and economy: Fromkin, Remez, and others. 3) Histadrut in the state - Lubianker [Pinhas Lavon], Gurfinkel [Gouri], Kanevsky [Kanev]. 4) legislation - [Zvi] Berenson, [Moshe] Smoira. They want to arrange a discussion day on Friday night and Saturday [to address] all the questions.
Action was taken to bring in new members - Zvi Langsam [Shiloah] is working on this. Eretz Israel working youth [members of the labor movement] are lagging behind in enlistment, and volunteerism has to be increased.
- I gave [Binyamin] Mintz [of Po'ale Agudas Israel] a letter of recommendation for Hayim Greenberg [a labor movement leader in the US].
- S. Grozovski [Gur] - Vilenchuk is already handling preparations for production. He went to Jerusalem yesterday to arrange chlorides production on behalf of HaMashbir. The crisis between Vilenchuk and Bogard [sp.] has been resolved. They met and are working together.
On January 1 he's launching two factories: for Shimshon (F.B.) and also for B. This will be set up near Tel Aviv (both of these will require P£ 8,000).
- I issued an order regarding Kofer HaYishuv [the Yishuv's defense fund].
- Yosef [Weitz]: The matter of the plot of land [in Givatayim, for military manufacturing] can be worked out (this was part of what used to be the women's farming settlement. The settlement is demanding compensation and I have to inform the KKL that this settlement has been expropriated).
The amount of P£ 200,000 for the Negev has been arranged. Defense is giving 75 [thousand] and the KKL is giving 125 from the settlement project, so that the [Zionist?] Organization institutions will lend it 50,000, on the condition that settlement needs be taken into account in the fortifications. A committee of three will be established to oversee expenses: [Alexander] Bassin [sp.], an engineer from the Settlement Department, Stern, a representative of the Agricultural Center, and a representative of the Headquarters. This committee will visit all the settlements in the Negev and prepare a fortification plan (it already left yesterday).
Per the advice of Ezra [Danin] and Gad Meknes, Ya'akov Barazani of Kefar Yona (of Kurdish heritage) was sent as a "peace envoy" [on behalf of SHAI] to the Negev to guide the Arab policy. All the KKL officials in the Negev will be at his disposal, and he'll train peace envoys at each settlement.
An official appointments letter has to be sent to the Negev Committee: [Yosef] Weitz, Shkolnik [Levi Eshkol], Yosef Rochel [Avidar]. [Yehuda] Horin, Hillel Cohen, Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir], and Ezra [Danin] will also participate. The budgetary secretariat will be: Weitz, Horin, Kozlowski. They've already opened a special account at Bank HaPo'alim and two signatures are required.
- Shaul [Avigur] reports that the ships [the Pans] moved from Varna [Port] to Burgas [Port] [in Bulgaria]. I told him about the administration's decision. He announced that he personally would leave for France immediately. For Prague he doesn't have a visa.
He reports on behalf of [Shimshon] Unichman: The situation in Germany is worsening, they [the Revisionists] are being falsely accused of being fascists, and they [claim] that others are communists. Order is needed…
Shaul asks if the overseas SHAI men have left, and who they'll be subordinate to. I answered in the affirmative. [They'll be subordinate] to the Political Department.
A writer came to see me, a Revisionist politico, 17 years in Tzohar [the Revisionist Zionist Party] active since 1934. Came from Poland, made ''aliya in 1941, and was the coordinator of Tzhohar's Shivat Zion [housing project] in Netanya. Wants to leave. Wants work in a general context. I referred him to Haft.
- [Yitzhak] Gruenbaum: The Hulda road [part of the route to Jerusalem] is not 3 km but 6, and requires - P£ 30,000. I told him that I'm not able to provide this money.
- Yehuda Gross, secretary of Safed W.C. [Workers' Council]: There's a lot of fear in Safed and it's hard to control the public. Leaders are also afraid. If it becomes possible to transit freely [out of the city] - many will leave Safed. The "Organization" men are going broke because half their time goes to guard duty. They're asking for additional forces - 100 men for Safed. This is necessary for psychological reasons. The request is also for equipped [armed] men - it's a small city and everything is known.
The [government] food supervisor announced: This year they won't give [Safed] the ration of flour for matzos. Rosenberg (of the Shatner Committee) was called upon to ensure food supplies for Safed, and he replied that if Safed provides P£ 2,000 - the National Council will provide 1,000.
Is there space [housing] for a hundred men? - Yes.
The Safed residents are afraid that Aliyat HaNo'ar [youth immigrants] will be taken away - 60 youths, who handle the Haganah's signal [service]. It would be good to have someone prominent visit Safed to raise morale.
- Simcha Goldberg: The Czech consul in Haifa, [Sigmund] Glazel [sp.] (Jewish), returned from his country and told David [Hacohen] that [we] can obtain machines [light machine guns] and other things in his country. Glazel's partner Hez [sp.] (also Jewish) told Glazel that [we] can obtain 3,000 crates of bullets. I thanked him for the information.
I asked him: What is the situation with Solel Boneh [a cooperative Jewish labor company for public works, construction, and industry]?
The scope of construction jobs is 5½ million, industry and cargo transport about 5 million. Its own capital - 3½ million. About 2½ - [invested] in industry, the rest is in circulation. They employ about 6,000 workers. The council [of directors] has been established. Pinhas [Lavon] is head of the council. There were no party disputes.
- Ya'akov [Dori] gave me an initial budget [for the military organization of the Haganah]: For each brigade 25 men, P£ 12,272 for a year. 4 brigades P£ 50,000. Apparatus for the battalions: in each battalion 32, P£ 15,336 for a year, 17 battalions - P£ 260,000. The apparatus in the three cities P£ 33,500, in total P£ 343,500 (P£ 28,625 per month).
- At 9:30 p.m. Shaul [Avigur] and [Zeev] Schind: Shaul is flying out tomorrow morning [to France, regarding the Pans]. He disputes the appointment of Nahum [Shadmi, Haganah commander in Europe] as commander of the Bricha [the organization that managed the flow of Jewish refugees in Europe] as well. He lacks the necessary strength. He agrees in principle that someone appropriate needs to coordinate both activities. He demands a budget for ha'apala [clandestine immigration]: for six months, about $1 million. I asked Schind to approach Kaplan on this matter after he arrives.