יומנים > יומן - מלא 22/09/1948

[Wednesday,] September 22, 1948

The navy is demanding [the following] from the General Staff[:] 2 75 mm C. [cannons], 4 20 mm C., 7 20 mm C. or Hotchkiss, 9 heavy machine guns, 3 [light] machine guns, as well as infrared flashlights [for night vision].

       - Ehud [Avriel] cables from Czechoslovakia on the matter of ''aliya (not completely in line with what [Shmuel] Mikunis says): A) The communities have completed the registration of candidates; most of them don't belong to Zionist organizations. Ehud demanded that the consulate be given the right to register people and their choice. B) Ehud agreed to their demand that a representative of the [Czech] government participate in the final decision.

       - According to the latest reports (September 20), in Gaza there are 950 [Egyptian] artillerymen, 300 engineering corps, 800 services (transport, medical, etc.), 250 local volunteers, 1,200 infantrymen (apparently two Saudi battalions and an Egyptian-Sudanese battalion). 3 field-cannon batteries of 8 C. each, 6 anti-air C., also anti-tank cannons. 23 armored vehicles, 2 light tanks, 2 heavy tanks, a platoon of half-tracks (11).

       - Lieutenant Colonel [Max] Schumacher [General Staff - Logistics Department, in charge of housing] is complaining that [Giora] Josephtal of the Aliya Department refuses to cooperate in organizing the apartments in Jaffa. I telephoned Josephtal to meet with me to sort out the matter. I also telephoned [Moshe] Shapira - but he claims that this doesn't relate to the Aliya Department at all.

       - Again a delegation of people with disabilities came to see me. [Eliyahu] Rosenbaum [Meroz] from the [Tel Aviv] Municipality will examine the educational needs of the disabled. In the meantime I telegraphed England and America regarding the relocation of a [prosthetics] factory: they [the disabled] are imploring me to urgently dispatch about 100 disabled to America, because they cannot wait any longer. But this entails a massive expenditure (about P£ 1,000 per person).

       - Herzfeld is demanding 4 bodies from the army, for settlement: Na'an - Gvulot (located in the Negev Brigade, 61 soldiers, Kibbutz Meuchad), (Galim, Kefar Menahem, ''Ein Shemer, 72 soldiers, some in Yiftah, some in Harel, Kibbut Artzi); the Hanita Group [Kibbutz], Avuka, 60 men, Palmach 1st Battalion; Maccabi Group [Kibbutz?], Harel, [Palmach] 4th Battalion.

       KKL [Keren Kayemet LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund] requests approval for 9 new settlement sites, including Bassa [Betzet], Birwa [Ahihud], Sumayriyya [Lohamei HaGeta'ot] in the Western Galilee, Kafr Lam [HaBonim] on the coastline [south of ''Atlit], Bashshit (near Yavneh) [Kefar Mordechai], near Masmiyya-Kabira [Mashmia Shalom], Tina [Revadim] near Kefar Menahem, Jaladiyya [Hodaya], Samakh [Ma'agan].

       - Again I was approached regarding the invasions in Jaffa. Officially 2,370 rooms were requested: for soldiers 400, for officials 600, for immigrants 400, for Negev children 200, for evacuees 20, for war wounded 100, for army offices 500, for government offices 150. In the meantime the numbers of immigrants and soldiers have increased, the former require 750 rooms, the soldiers also [require] more. In [Dov] Patishi's view there are enough rooms. But the invasion has to be stopped. After [the meeting] I summarized the conclusions in writing.

       - In the afternoon government meeting.