יומנים > יומן - מלא 17/12/1948

Friday, December 17, 1948

Teddy [Kollek] arrived. There's already a collection of food - meat, preserved vegetables, milk, flour, rice, and sugar - worth 2 million. By the end of January there will be spare parts for vehicles up to ¾ of a million dollars.

       Teddy claims that if they'd told him, they could have obtained winter clothing (they were only informed of the need in the first week of December). Regarding [Yosef] Yaakovson's plan, Teddy thinks it's possible to obtain up to 10 million various pieces of merchandise as gifts. There are Jews in Canada and Mexico who are prepared to give dollars - if they're paid in P£ here a year later.

       Teddy thinks that Yaakovson was a failure in America and should not be sent again. He publicized the fact of the procurements and consequently the gifts stopped. He doesn't understand commerce. He chases publicity. He made purchases - and later the same was acquired more cheaply. He sent Yehil Keutzman [sp.] to buy jeeps - and paid $200 more than necessary for a jeep.

       It's necessary to send experts - experts on vehicles and other things, but not businessmen.

       [Abraham] Feinberg's group [Friends of the Haganah in the US] wants me to come over for two or three days at the invitation of the president [Truman] - and the matter of the loan [from the International Bank] will be settled, and maybe also de jure recognition. According to the plan I should also participate in the UJA [United Jewish Appeal] conference - in their view this will save the Appeal. This week they sent 15 airplanes and 800 tons of spare parts, which will arrive on January 2 or 3. Also radar systems for sea and air as well as coastal defense. Also many radio parts - all this on the same ship, Absirto. At the end of the month another 15 airplanes will be ready for shipment. The "arrangements" for the shipment cost $25,000.

       - [David Zvi] Pinkas - the Defense Committee didn't reach a conclusion on conduct; a subcommittee - [Ya'akov] Riptin, [Elimelech] Rimalt, and Grabovsky [Meir Argov] - will handle the question of Gadna [Youth Battalions].

       - [David] Federman came to see me. He brought me a statue of myself made by a Belgian sculptor. According to him it's a valuable work of art. He's a close associate of [Paul-Henri] Spaak. I asked him about the source of Spaak's animosity. The answer - Spaak is an initiator of the alliance of five [the 1948 Brussels Treaty], and the five cannot do anything without England. If France votes in favor of our admission [to the UN] - Belgium will change its position in our favor.

       - [Mapai] Defense Committee meeting. They're complaining about the failure to release [soldiers] per the party's demands for the elections.

       - I prepared a congratulatory letter for the manufacturers' assembly on Sunday.

       - I left for Tiberias.

       - I asked Ya'akov [Dori] to clarify why the order to discharge all soldiers with 4 or more children by December 15 has not been implemented. Nehemiah [Argov] told me that so far only 8 have been discharged. The head of the Personnel Department understands neither the situation nor the law.