יומנים > יומן - מלא 23/07/1948

Friday, July 23, 1948

[Yosef] Weitz and [Levi] Shkolnik [Eshkol] - on new settlement [the placement of new settlers]. I suggested [we] start by settling the area around the airport in Lod, Wilhelmina, Ben-Shemen, and the Jerusalem corridor.

         - Staff. David [Shaltiel] was also present. There's no [option of] conscripting more people in Jerusalem; the forces are not enough to hold onto the strongholds. There are 2,400 fighters in Jerusalem; they're holding onto Jerusalem and Motza. This includes a reserve battalion of 9 platoons and auxiliary weapons (the battalion under Zarro [Meir Zarodinsky-Zorea]). One of his companies is untrained. David suggests withdrawing two battalions from Jerusalem for training, and sending two other battalions in their place. The Moriah Battalion that was stationed in the strongholds went to Sarafand to get organized [along with Harel battalions]. Two Harel battalions remained on the road from Jerusalem up to Sha'ar HaGai. The number of conscripts in Jerusalem is 6,100 (full conscription). Yosef Avidar suggests differentiating among the ages in Jerusalem, placing young men in Hayish [field corps] battalions, the rest - turning them into garrison forces.

         In other parts of the country the situation is tense. All the garrison forces are stationed in strongholds, Hayish is also in a few strongholds, and we still don't have enough force for the strongholds. In the Galilee three [Arab] villages are seeking to surrender - and there's no "surrenderer" [captor]. The garrison manpower is only 50% of the garrison standard.

         Yigael [Yadin] asked Moshe [Zadok] (Personnel Department) whether the entire garrison standard can be met over the course of two weeks - and Hayish can be released for training?

         Moshe [Zadok]: In order to meet the standard for garrison and the brigades - Hayish requires 7,500 (3,500 of which to fill existing brigades, 40 battalions, 4,000 for reserve brigades), 9,000 for garrison, and then there'll be 24 garrison battalions.

         The Artillery Corps is short 2,500 men (including the [heavy] mortar battalions).

         The Engineering Corps needs 2,000 men, in order to give the brigades the number of engineers they require.

         For the Navy - 500.

         For the Air Force? The services require another 3,000 - supplies, equipment, storage, armament.

      The total shortfall is 24,500 men (we have 65,000; thus 89,500 are needed). Where will they be taken from: from those born in 1931 [members of Gadna (Youth Battalions), 17-year-olds] - 3,500 men; 35-40-year-olds 6,000, [born in] 1907 - 2,000, WC 5,000, from abroad 6,000-7,000, total 23,500 men.

         - At eleven the Committee of Seven (regarding ETZEL), later the Committee of Five (defense).

         - In the afternoon a visit from [Sam] Zacks of Canada. They're sending packages of food, clothing, and more in donation to the army.