יומנים > יומן - מלא 17/08/1948
Tuesday, August 17, 1948
This morning [we held] a reception in the Kirya [government compound] for the Soviet Union's emissary, Pavel Ivanovich Yershov. Not everything went as prearranged by [Foreign Ministry chief of protocol Michael] Simon: Yershov approached me immediately upon entering, without being presented [by the chief of protocol], [and said] that he'd been sent to me by the Presidium of the socialist Soviet Union, etc. I replied to him in Hebrew and Moshe [Sharett] translated. Then he presented me with his letter of credence, signed by [Soviet President] Shvernik, Kalinin's successor, and affirmed by [Foreign Minister] Molotov. And after he introduced me to his entourage, and Moshe introduced him to my entourage, we sat down at a small table to talk. He complained about the heat, about the uncomfortable living conditions at the hotel. Then he told me that he heard that I'd come to the country as a laborer. I told him about my visit to Moscow in 1923, and he said that I'd no longer recognize this city because it's changed since then. It's been built up a lot - not skyscrapers, but buildings of 15 stories. We spoke about our war and theirs. He expressed wonder over the city of Tel Aviv, which had previously been sand dunes, and I said that we did [this] through two [elements]: through work and through vision.
After some light beverages - he smoked Russian cigarettes - we parted.
I went home to change clothes [following the ceremony for Yershov] and headed to my office in Ramat Gan.
- [Haim] Gvati and [Avraham] Haft came. The Personnel Department is giving the immigrant youth in the settlements a hard time. There are 3,500 boys and girls aged 16-18, [from] immigrant youth groups; if they take 15-year-olds [should be: 17-year-olds] - and the Personnel Department wants to conscript 1,500 17-year-olds - in Haft's view that would demolish the [youth] groups and strike a severe blow to the settlements. This is the main reserve [source of personnel] for the settlement enterprise and labor force in the settlements. They propose: postponing the training for 2 weeks, or arranging subdistrict training.
They also complain about the difficult situation in the Negev. Military personnel get replaced from time to time, and they're allowed to rest - settlement members are not. The garrison force being sent to the Negev is only for strongholds and does not resolve the question of settlement members.
I need to go to the Negev and see the situation for myself.
A third complaint: the organizing of the garrison battalions. The settlement members are complaining about demotions: a company commander in Hayish [Haganah Field Corps] becomes a platoon commander in the garrison force. I'll look into this matter.
They're also requesting a permanent liaison with a Staff representative. I put them in touch with Shlomo Shamir.
- I summoned the military censor and instructed him to be stricter in preventing news items that could undermine and sabotage the war effort. In recent days there were items [in the press] that should not have appeared: the paving of the Burma Road, war expenses, youth conscription, etc.
- [Yeshayahu "Shaike" Dan] Trachtenberg came to see me. Returned from Bulgaria two days ago. Since the start of 1948 about 4,000 people have left [come here from] Bulgaria, 3,400 of them draft age. Nearly all are in the army. Frensig [sp.] and Jacques Natan [sp.] [Jewish communists in Bulgaria] are sabotaging our movement. They want the government to transfer the management of ''aliya to the consistory [the government-appointed Jewish community leadership, which was subject to communist influence] ([in Dan's view] this is the influence of [Shmuel] Mikunis). Mikunis wants to have only young communists sent here, the [Bulgarian] government receives $ 30 for each immigrant. Two infants are considered one person. Trachtenberg thinks that the Bulgaria galut [condition of exile, i.e., diaspora community] should be eliminated quickly. There's hope that the government will help, because it receives dollars.
- In the afternoon I left for the newly inaugurated airfield in ''Ekron. There was a spectacular fleet review of fighter planes and bombers, "Flying Fortresses," and an airborne force that engaged in battles with the "enemy." An air force is emerging.
- At 7:30 [Rabbi Abba Hillel] Silver came to visit me. A non-political conversation.
- At 9 p.m. Ab[raham] Feinberg and David [Hacohen] came to see me. [Henry] Morgenthau conveyed through him that he would resign from the [position of chairman of the] UJA [United Jewish Appeal] unless it's guaranteed that the funds are being sent directly to Israel. For hundreds of thousands of American Jews, according to Feinberg millions, their hearts are with Israel but the ZOA [Zionist Organization of America] are driving them away. [Friends of Israel who are not affiliated with a particular organization] do not want the governing apparatus or the suppression of freedom of opinion. Without a direct link to Israel, these Jews will be driven away. He demands that friends of Israel be granted a seal of approval.
- Isser [Harel] reports on an inclination within ETZEL in Jerusalem to surrender. He advises promising that if the ETZEL issue in Jerusalem is resolved, then the [ETZEL] detainees will be released after a while, now that the court has affirmed their detention. There is increased activity within ETZEL aimed at seizing key positions in the army branches. They're infiltrating the military police.
Reuven [Shiloah] reports on the discovery of espionage in the army. There's news of an Egyptian [Jew], who supposedly came from Italy, and has been serving in the army a few months already. Now he's been sent to an artillery course. I agreed that he shouldn't be arrested immediately but instead followed in order to discover his contacts.