יומנים > יומן - מלא 18/12/1947

[Thursday,] December 18, 1947

Shaul [Avigur] reports on behalf of Averbuch [Moshe Agami] that Moshe [Sharett] approved the departure of the two ships to Cyprus. He (S. [Shaul]) takes it for granted that they'll be disembarked in Cyprus. I telegraphed Moshe [Sharett].

       - The party committee - Ziama [Aran], Pinhas [Lavon], and Zabrasky - asked my opinion:

       How would I set up the Organization if I were to arrange everything as I wanted?

       I said - the shortcomings that I found: lack of equipment; for years not enough thought was given to security needs and the danger posed by Arabs; the Organization saw itself as an end rather than a means (the role for which it was created was not sufficiently in their line of sight); a corporative [insular, resistant to external criticism] spirit permeated the Organization. They weren't familiar with and didn't want to exploit military material and experience; in June I drew conclusions about the organizational infrastructure and formulated them in writing.

       I would establish a defense division composed of three: [Yohanan] Ratner, Fritz [Eshet], and a civilian. Aside from the Staff at least 5 people are needed to administer: finances, production, procurement, supplies, conscription. I suggested that they read my written conclusions from June and the Defense Committee law, speak with Ya'akov [Dori], Yosef [Yizraeli], Yosef R. [Rochel-Avidar]. Suggest to me a civilian for the trio and someone in charge of supplies.

       - Pinia [the pilot Pinchas Ben-Porat] gave me the following report: Yesterday at 8 a.m. he flew from Tel Aviv to Lod with a doctor (Dr. Pollack [sp.]) and from there to Bet Eshel. He arrived at 9:20. He discovered that the Bet Eshel wounded had already been transferred to Beilinson [Hospital]. They told him that Nevatim has been under attack all morning and there are wounded. An English police officer from Beersheva showed up and asked for [his pilot's] license and name, etc. [Pinia] stated that [he'd] been sent by the company Aviron and the doctor by Magen David Adom. The officer went to Nevatim but returned half an hour later (a distance of 8 kilometers) and [reported] that Nevatim cannot be entered, it's surrounded by 200 men, and he supposedly wanted to bring help.

       Pinia took grenades, a [light] machine gun, and a young man [Eliahu Avivi ("Yarkona")], and removed a door of the airplane and flew to Nevatim [at] 10:50 at a height of 700-1,000 meters. He saw a few groups of Arabs in the channels, tossed grenades, fired [the machine gun], saw one Arab fall, and landed at 11:20 near the settlement (was in the air about 40 minutes). He situated the machine gun and the young man he'd taken from Bet Eshel in Nevatim. At the same time (coincidently or intentionally) an English squadron (5-6 airplanes) passed by (at 11:50).

       He brought two wounded to Tel Aviv (in two flights).

       When he was in Bet Eshel the airplane was fired upon from the vicinity of Beersheva.

       - Arthur [Asher Ben-Natan], Yosef [Yizraeli], and [Yehiel] Duvdevani [propose]: A salary in accordance with the rank of the senior staff in the Organization [abroad]. Arthur will serve as a liaison officer [between the Organization and the Bricha [which managed the flow of Jewish refugees in Europe]. Duvdevani requests a meeting regarding the situation. I said - not a party meeting, but a general one, and after I discuss the mistakes and shortcomings with Staff personnel.

       Duvdevani and Arthur oppose the unification of the Organization and the Bricha abroad. I didn't accept their position. They want me to summon Ephraim [Dekel] to the country. I didn't agree; they'll summon. They agreed.

       Duvdevani reports: [Moshe] Sneh came to a meeting of the Mossad [le-''Aliya Bet], reported that he's leaving [quitting his role in] ha'apala [clandestine immigration], didn't want to be a "liquidator," although he objectively reported the Executive's decision on the matter [of the Pans].

       - Along with Yisrael [Galili] I set the agenda for the Defense Committee meeting: A. Review, B. Report from the two committees (wages and reparations [for victims and their families]), C. The people's guard, D. A response: against the Legion.

       - Ezra [Danin] and Josh [Palmon] propose: 1) Before [launching] a response in the Negev, issue a warning flyer. 2) Approach King [Abdallah] to demand of his people in the Negev - calmness. 3) There's cause for leniency with respect to the Legion. They [the Legionnaires] had a basis to fear an attack [during the Beit Nabala incident] and therefore to appeal to the king - to issue a stern instruction not to attack, and that one of [their] officers will express his condolences to the families over the incident.  4) Explain [to the Arabs] now, during the cease-fire (will it last?) what happened, what's going on, what was lost, and have the [Jewish] Agency or the Haganah issue a flyer for the Arabs. [The Arabs] pay no heed to the National Council, and anonymous flyers have no value. The Jewish press should be briefed.

       I asked the Staff to summarize and assess the recent "events" [riots] from a Jewish and Arab perspective - with particular attention to our shortcomings and mistakes.

       - [Simcha] Blass returned. He'd left on Monday. The point of contact [between the Jewish and the Arab states] in the Galilee has been changed, and the entire Mas'ha-Tiberius Road was included in the state and something in the south was fixed.

       It seems to him that the Negev is in danger [politically] and 5,000 men are needed.

       He's already seen Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir] and the "Store" [a weapons manufacturing facility in Tel Aviv]. [He advises] quickly sending men with food for a week. For the sake of the future (establishing borders) there should be a maximum number of settlements between Be'er Tuvia and Simsim [Gvar'am].

       - Defense Committee meeting. It was decided at N.H. [National Headquarters] today to have 252 conscripts in the south, 1,000 in the north, 600 in the center, 600 in Tel Aviv, 460 notrim [British-appointed auxiliary police], 2,500 Brigade [Palmach], 300 [in] Jerusalem, 120 for settlements' reinforcement - in total 5,832.

       - The Berl [Repetur]-Svirsky Committee proposed reparations of P£ 300 for the family of someone killed. [Wages] for regular conscripts: bachelor P£ 6 per month, head of household with two children P£ 26, one child P£ 23, no children P£ 20. For "per day" defender up to three days - nothing, after that: for a youth not supporting his family 250 mil per day, bachelor 500 mil per day, youth supporting [a family] 600, adult supporting one another person 1,060 [P£ 1 and 60 mil], beyond that 1,260 mil per day (all of this - in addition to subsistence!).

       I disputed the general proposal of P£ 300 for the family of someone killed - to be paid from the defense budget. Who knows what we're facing - and it is the Yishuv and the people, rather than the defense budget, that need to bear the responsibility. Nor should a family be paid when the person killed did not support it. After consultation it was decided to pay up to P£ 300 if the person killed had supported his family, and to establish a committee of the [relevant] institutions to formulate a general insurance plan, to care for the wounded and disabled as well.

       - [Moshe] Sneh wants an answer for the emissary from the Moroccan Sultan, who's requesting agricultural machines as well as cash, in exchange for declaring that he accepts Partition and offering friendship and protection to the Jews of Morocco. I advised first asking [clarifying] how much it will cost.

       - Aharon [Katchalski-Katzir] and Yohanan [Ratner]: Z. Ratner finished an [anti-] personnel mine.

       Who will produce [them]? - Yohanan thinks that [for production] we shouldn't rely only on Shevah [Slavin's nickname]. An engineer such as [Yitzhak] Bavli [sp.] should be consulted.

       The Molotov bottle [cocktail] is also ready. The bottle itself will cost 37 mil if 50,000 bottles are ordered. Ten days ago Yosef Rochel [Avidar] received all the diagrams and calculations - and so far nothing's been done.

       Chlorites production, might be possible to carry out at the Dead Sea - if Novo [Moshe Novomeysky, of the Palestine Potash Company] agrees. The "doctor" [Shamgar] is working on this, and next month they'll produce 4 tons, and after that increase to 10 tons per month. At the Dead Sea it's possible to produce 20 tons in one month. (When I relayed Shevah's remarks about TNT reserves - they both said that even so they'll have to produce it. Even 250 tons won't be enough and we cannot rely on reserves. Theft or destruction is possible.)

       It might be possible to produce bulletproof glass in the country (like on our vehicle).

       The flamethrowers reached up to [a range of] 18 meters. They want to extend to forty.

       Why delay? Make [them with a range of] 18 meters. After that extend.

       A factory for teargas bombs has been readied (in Motza), and will produce 300 bombs per day. Currently they're setting up a small factory to produce 5 kg of Shimshon per day (for a dunam 2 kg are needed). Regarding Bet plants [plants of type B ?] there's a weaker and cheaper species. Good for feeding livestock. Raw material should be brought from abroad.