יומנים > יומן - מלא 21/11/1948

[Sunday,] November 21, 1948

[Shimon] Wasserman came to see me. Need to plan for urban construction, populating the country, the location of industry in terms of security. To prevent concentration in a few cities, not to focus on the corridor [the Sharon Plain, along the coast]. He proposes that Fritz [Eshet] and [Yisrael] Ber handle the matter. Requests a budget for the Engineering Corps for roads and fortifications. He was promised 427,000 and was given only 100,000. I said that at this time there's no need for fortifications in the Upper Galilee.

       - [Eliezer] Hoofien came to see me. He's asking to telegraph J. [James] Rothschild to release Harry Wolfson [Director of PICA (the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association) in Israel], as his deputy in coordination. Also to release Katriel Salomon [sp.] as liaison officer with the army. The second matter was arranged immediately, and regarding the first I advised that he telegraph Jimmy [Rothschild] on behalf of the government as well.

       - Pinhas Lavon asks what answer to give the Labor International and the Jewish communists in France regarding assistance to miners in France. I objected to providing financial assistance. This is a domestic political dispute. To reply by expressing solidarity with the entire working class.

       - I issued instructions to print Alterman's poem ("The Column" in Davar on Friday [November 19]) and distribute it in the army.

       - I spoke with Reuven [Shiloah], Yigael [Yadin], and Ya'akov [Dori] about a response to [General] Riley regarding the Faluja "pocket." I told [them] to reply:

       1) If the Egyptians do not enter into negotiations on an armistice as the Security Council demands, we will not discuss the Faluja "pocket."

       2) If they do enter into negotiations - we will discuss the fate of Faluja with the Egyptians.

       3) If in the course of speaking with Riley it becomes clear to them that it would be good to have us provide food for two or three days - they have the permission to do so.

       - Yesterday evening [Kenneth] Bilby came to see me and gave me details of his conversation with Abdallah and Glubb Pasha [the British commander of the Arab Legion]. Both of them are definitely in favor of peace. He asked whether I have a statement. I said that we'd be happy to meet with any of the Arab states regarding peace.

       - [Reuven] Shiloah asked me about negotiations with Abdallah. I told him that I advised starting discussions in Paris, [and] when they become substantive - shifting the discussion here. Lines [borders] can only be discussed here. We need to straighten the Latrun line, to get passage to the university [on Mount Scopus] in Jerusalem, to shift the borderline in the in the central area [the Sharon Plain] eastward, in exchange for which we'll agree to shift the eastern line in the south [westward], and to give Gaza [after it's captured] to Abdallah. Reuven proposes [that] Gaza [be] a free city, and three [entities] - Jews, Egypt, Transjordan - oversee it.

       - In the afternoon government meeting.

       - At 8 p.m. [British MP Sydney] Silverman came to see me, spoke a great deal about the situation, domestically and abroad, of the Labour Party. I have no doubt that it will win the elections.