יומנים > יומן - מלא 20/09/1948
Monday, September 20, 1948
This morning at 8 Isser [Harel] came to see me. He'd delivered the government position to the ETZEL commander [Menachem Begin]. M-R [Ya'akov Meridor] told him that [Yitzhak] Gruenbaum had misled them the whole time, although recently they'd already started to sense that he doesn't represent the government. They're surrendering completely - and today, tomorrow at the latest, they'll issue an order to their members to report with their weapons at intake, in order to join the army without any demands regarding platoons, battalions, etc. LEHI had given them a blow. They do not want to carry out any illegal activity. They continued to broadcast, because they understood from Gruenbaum's remarks that they could continue to do so. [Henceforth] they won't do anything against the law. Isser suggests that we don't speak with them today. If their envoy arrives - only Nehemiah [Argov] will speak with him, and if he doesn't reject Isser's message, he won't be formally given the ultimatum, but instead they'll be allowed to disband as if by their own free will.
- [Yigael] Yadin came to see me. I told him that the Personnel Department must accept the ETZEL men who are in Jerusalem, because they [aren't] joining the Jerusalem army, but the Israel army, and as a clear indication some of them, not many, will be removed from Jerusalem, although the main force should be maintained in Jerusalem, because our military force in Jerusalem mustn't be weakened.
I summoned [Police Commissioner] Yehezkel Sahar and told him that the remaining searches and arrests in Jerusalem will be conducted by the police. This task should not be assigned to the army, especially these days. If a policeman or a number of policemen do not fulfill their duty suitably - they will be fired immediately and arrested. If necessary the army will provide assistance to the police. The military governor will issue the instruction, when he's required to do so, for the army to provide assistance.
- [Aharon] Zisling reports that [as minister of agriculture] he received a request from Herut Founded by ETZEL, that they retain an orchard for the purpose of "hachshara" [agricultural, settlement-oriented training]. In Zisling's view hachshara falls within the purview of the Zionist Administration. I told Zisling that the name ETZEL is null and void, and we won't be able to tolerate a party named "Herut Founded by ETZEL."
- Cable from Italy: In the early morning of September 18 two of our men infiltrated a hangar housing four Macchi 205 fighter planes destined for Egypt. The four were destroyed, and three small tourist planes parked in the hangar were damaged by the fire that broke out.
The Italian press acknowledges that some of the planes were destined for Egypt. The damage is estimated at 250 million liras (600 liras - $ 1). Our men are safe and sound.
- Telegraph from "Ofer" [Czechoslovakia]: The political situation is preventing transfer of the "Spitters" [Spitfires]. Six are ready. The examinations are satisfactory. Flight speed is 290 miles for the first hour, 190 at the end of the flight.
- Ya'akov Dori, [Moshe] Zadok, Yehezkel Sahar. I issued instructions to clear out the prisons in Jaffa and Haifa and turn them over to the police - immediately, in order to house the [arrested] LEHI men.
- Moshe [Sharett] and [Aharon] Zisling affirmed the draft I prepared last night on the matter of ETZEL. I told him about the new development. [Associates of] Gruenbaum telephoned me [to say] that an ETZEL member will contact us by early afternoon.
Reuven Shiloah and Ya'akov [Dori] [on] coordination in the intelligence service. A central index for now, it turns out, will be in the army, but it will be subordinate to the prime minister's office. Uniformity in reporting was agreed on and will be implemented. Isser [Be'eri] does not agree regarding a coordination committee. [We] need to agree that the army is a single branch within the state, and he must forget the Haganah tradition in this area.
- Per a request by [Meir] Grossman and [Shimshon] Unichman, I received the soldier [Shlomo] Kor - a Latvian Beitari [Beitar member] who arrived two months ago, and I offered him a leave of three months, as Grossman had requested of me. He declined, and actually wants to work for the army. I informed Grossman and [Moshe] Zadok of this. He arrived here two months ago by ship, the Mala [sp.], with a number of Beitaris, who are also in the army. He complains about the terrible treatment of immigrants: friends are separated, man and wife [are separated], possessions are separated from their owners.
- At 11:30 Yigael [Yadin] told me that there's been a small change in ETZEL's position: they believe that inwardly [in terms of their members] it's preferable that they receive an ultimatum from the government. Accordingly, Yigael will present them with a demand on behalf of the chief of staff whereby they have 24 hours to fulfill the government's demands.
- I consulted with Ya'akov [Dori] and Yigael [Yadin] regarding a military attaché to Washington. Yigael agrees on Ben-Artzi, although Ya'akov isn't thrilled about this candidacy. I promised Yigael on behalf of this government that if the war ends (I'm no longer sure that this [condition] is imperative) and he wants to go to Washington, the placement will be reserved for him.
- At 12:30: Nehemiah [Argov] came. He'd spoken with Leizerowicz - ETZEL envoy, after receiving the ultimatum from Yigael. He promised to fulfill it 100%, and stated that they would have done so a month ago, if Gruenbaum hadn't misled them.
- [Moshe] Zadok: The standard of 90,000 won't suffice for the army's needs. 112,000 soldiers, fit for action, are needed (excluding wounded, prisoners, etc.) - this is what's needed for 64 Hayish and garrison battalions: 40 Hayish battalions 33,600 ([current manpower]28,650) ([the standard for] each battalion is 840), 24 garrison battalions 15,600 (11,972) ([the standard for] each battalion is 650), artillery corps 7,000 men (3,612), mortars 2,220 (579), engineering corps 5,000 (2,492), air force 7,500 (4,951), navy 2,500 - all together 73,400 fighters. To this [we] need to add signal 2,100, medical 5,000, which is 80,500. And if so - instead of cutting, [we're] expanding. Is there manpower in such quantity in the Yishuv? Will the state bear this burden - and for how long?
Aside from the above there are additional services in the amount of 26,400 men (equipment 1,500, supplies 1,100, transport 7,000, armament 2,100, housing 2,300, MP [Military Police] 1,750, fuel 1,200, Training Bureau 550, etc.).
For the committee on reductions [in standards, i.e., reducing the number of personnel required] the nominees are Ben-Artzi, Shlomo [Shamir], or Fritz [Shalom Eshet], Felix [Michael Doron] (from the Operations Department), a Personnel Department member. In my opinion we should also require one civilian.
- When I dined last night with Moshe [Sharett], [David] Remez, and [Eliezer] Kaplan, Moshe raised the question of Chaim Weizmann's status after he returns. He sees himself as the president of the state, not the president of the State Council, and will insist on his rights, and Moshe is inclined to propose that we declare the State of Israel to be a democratic commonwealth, with Weizmann as president. I don't think so because: 1) we have no interest at this time in another argument in the country, 2) Weizmann could be an added burden on the government, and even without him things aren't easy, 3) there's no point in raising Weizmannian problems right now and before the elections. Moshe argued that a president would be needed in any event. Today I received a memorandum on this matter from Prof. [Yitzhak] Shaki, and he presents reasoned arguments in favor of declaring a commonwealth and deciding on a president without waiting for the Constituent Assembly, independently of the Weizmann issue.
- At 1 Attorney General [Ya'akov Shimshon] Shapira telephoned me [to say] that the anti-terrorism law has been completed. The "amended" version was ruined slightly, but not much, by Gruenbaum, and it will do for us.
- Dr. Sheeber [Chaim Sheba] and [Eliezer] Lewin-Epstein on behalf of people with disabilities. The disabled have been concentrated in Jaffa and Haifa. They haven't yet been put on pension, because there's no entity to handle their arrangements. The [prosthetic] "legs" produced here aren't good. In England they manufacture legs for export. They do this in America too. Dr. Helft [sp.] [from South Africa] proposes bringing parts from abroad and fitting [them] here. P£ 10,000 (in dollars) was sent to England. There are about 250 leg and hand amputees. Three [people with disabilities] were sent to America: one who had both hands severed and lost both eyes, one a pianist who had both his hands severed. There are also [cases] of broken and damaged limbs. [We] need to have an English factory open a branch here and send experts here. Gillis from South Africa, an expert in these matters, advised this. ([Prof. Alexander] Goldberg was also sent there from here for this purpose.[)] An expert from England is also due to arrive in order to take measurements from the disabled and prepare [prosthetic] limbs for them in England. In the meantime temporary [prosthetic] limbs are being made. 8 people with disabilities also came: they demand good [prosthetic] limbs, and quickly, and that there be a workshop to repair [prosthetic] limbs. There's an expert in the country for this industry, Dr. [Wolf] Somer [sp.] [physician and physiotherapist], and he was already addressing it in mid-May, but the medical service didn't give him the tools or means.
I proposed to the people with disabilities that they designate one of them to help me address this matter. We decided on Matityahu Lanker, who was wounded in a strike on Moledet [a neighborhood east of Holon] in mid-May.
- Government meeting on the defense budget.