יומנים > יומן - מלא 19/11/1948

Friday, November 19, 1948

I suggested to Ya'akov Shapira that he conduct the investigation into the atrocities committed by soldiers in the Galilee and the south. I formulated my instructions to him in this matter. Ya'akov Dori proposes that Katriel Salomon [sp.], Michael Michael, [and] Emanuel Yalan [Wilensky] be included.

       - [Bechor] Sheetrit, [Elimelech] Avner, and [Ya'akov] Shimoni. Sheetrit argues that appointing a military governor requires approval from the minister of minorities minister of the interior. In Majdal, Asael Zuckerman (from Gedera) was appointed - Sheetrit is pleased with him, but insists that he be consulted first. Sheetrit is complaining that Major-General Avner's presence is not felt - things happened in the Galilee, and he didn't prevent the disaster. In Beersheva there was a gathering of Bedouins yesterday - the Ministry of Minorities didn't know about it. Villages are being uprooted without the knowledge of the minister of minorities (this is a matter for the Committee of Six [see below]). Sheetrit is demanding cooperation with Avner and the army. He isn't receiving reports from the military governors - as ordered by Avner.

       Avner: There's an inter-ministerial committee - [Military] Government, Minorities, Foreign Affairs, Interior - that's supposed to discuss these matters. The committee was expanded and its workload is heavy. Representation should be scaled back - to one person from each ministry (Ezra [Danin] - Foreign Affairs). There's a committee of six ministers that decides on uprooting and expulsion. [Whether to] return an Arab refugee who's situated outside of his place of residence (within the state's territory) is decided by a committee of three: [Military] Government, Minorities, Foreign Affairs.

       - At 10:30 Defense Committee.

       - Two brothers came to see me: Stephen (Ya'akov-Pinchas) Herzl, was a chemist, worked in Romania at a sugar factory as a chemist, now works at Osem [food manufacturing company] as a chemist, and his brother Eliezer (Vladislav) Herzl, worked for the Americans as head of the supplies department at the Allied Commission in Romania. They were born in Pennsylvania, Romania. According to them, their grandfather was Herzl's father's brother. They know French, English, Romanian, German, Hungarian, Yiddish, a little Russian. Eliezer is now working in the arms industry for Slavin. They arrived in the country 4-5 months ago from Cyprus. They reached Cyprus on December 25, 1947. They're asking for more suitable work. According to them, they're the only survivors of the Herzl family.

       - [General] Staff meeting with the financial committee - on the need for cuts. We agreed: 1) To task the Personnel Department with preparing a list of all the soldiers who have more than two children - with a view to their urgent discharge. 2) To task the Logistics Department with making cuts in food, fuel, vehicles. 3) To appoint a budgetary committee, in the Staff, that will reduce the budget to 5 million per month maximum. 4) To launch a campaign on frugality within army.

       - There's a ship departing today loaded with 12,000 coats, 13,000 uniforms, 36,000 raincoats. A ship that left two days ago is bringing more clothes - along with the previous shipments [we have] 51,000 coats, 64,000 uniforms, 36,000 [rain]coats. Another ship will depart on the 27th of the month and bring all the rest.