יומנים > יומן - מלא 17/03/1949

[Thursday,] March 17, 1949

Kossoy brought Gurari [sp.], a mathematics scholar, to see me; [he’s] from Yekaterinoslav, wants to travel to Bristol to work with Freulbach [sp.], who does atomic research. He’s asking for a loan of P£ 600; will return to the country in two years and work here.

         – Becker and Sheetrit brought me a list of workers’ councils, of enterprises where more than 25 workers are employed. The list doesn’t include the port (in Tel Aviv there are 350 working at sea and in workshops, in the workers’ council 6, only one from the SA [i.e., A? Mapai?], 2 M [Mapam?], 2 leaning towards M., wage-work porters 120 – in the workers’ council 5 – of whom 2 are M, 2 leaning towards M, 2 politically unaffiliated. Porters [as a?] group 120 – in the council 5 – 1 – A, 1 leaning, 2 M, 1 BM [?]. Foremen and administrative workers 60 - council members 3 – 5 A, 1 leaning, 1 BM [?]. At the Jaffa port 100 Arab workers, 100 Jewish workers (new immigrants) – a council of 5 was formed – 4 A, 1 leaning.

         Bakery work wasn’t included either – 250 Histadrut members – in the councils we have no members, the secretary and the councils are Mapam. MHT [?] wasn’t included – more than a thousand members, 30% A members, in the councils our membership is small; this association has a tradition of Po’alei Zion Smol [Workers of Zion – Left].

         In construction there are 1,600, most of the councils’ members are our [party] members.

         Diamond workers weren’t included either – 500 (including cooperatives) about half are in cooperatives, 70% our members, also among wage workers – not bad.

         Cinema workers – 170, in the council 5, of whom 4 A, 1 M.

         – I scheduled a workers’ gathering for next Tuesday, at 6 p.m. About 60-70 workers will be invited (a third women) from Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, and Tel Aviv. Leading trade union activists will also be invited.

         – Eytan and Harkabi came to see me regarding Lebanon. In my opinion we should sign without conditioning it on the withdrawal of the Syrians 1) it would strengthen our political standing generally, and particularly in Eilat, 2) it would increase pressure against the Syrians, 3) it would facilitate action in the Triangle if such action is necessary and if there’s no opposing resolution by the provisional government of days gone by [?] from meetings with them. – [I issued an] instruction to sign an agreement.

         – Nehemiah reports that a delegation of disabled arrived. They broke into and seized occupied apartments in Jaffa – and were removed. They invaded again and were removed by force. People were injured on both sides. According to Reedy [sp.] (and the chief of staff) who handles housing for the disabled there was no justification for this assault. 29 families have already been settled in the artillerymen’s building, which was evacuated, and the rest are being taken care of.

         – A delegation of disabled came to see me: Avraham Zinger [sp.], Yokne’am, Ya’akov Skovronin [sp.], Ya’akov Zadok (Bavli), complaining about lack of housing. A month ago they entered a home that they were told was intended for M.S. [Medical Service?] evacuation; in the meantime doctors were placed there [and] they also entered. Yesterday M.P. [Military Police?] showed up to remove them. I appealed to them to refrain from violence, to be patient – in two weeks the Personnel Department building will be evacuated.

         – Rokach is complaining about Shapira (Interior) wanting to take the city treasurer Argov (Baumol) from him.

         – A delegation from the moshavim [collective agricultural communities] came to see me: Dayan, Assaf, Rishpon. They want instructors to be discharged for new settlers. I issued instructions to discharge [them]. 28 army organizations have already been organized for settlement [?]. 500 immigrant families have already settled in Safsaf (50 families), Bassa (110, including 40 soldiers), Tarshiha (107), ‘Aqqur (67), Yavne (98), Qudayriyya (160), Majdal 64, there are another 1,000 families.

         – I was told by telephone tonight that the disabled peacefully left the house they had seized.

         – In the evening, after the Knesset meeting, a consultation with [Yigael] Yadin, [Moshe] Dayan, [Walter] Eytan, [Shabtai] Rosenne, Ya’akov [Dori] about a Lebanon agreement. Moshe [Dayan] reported on the talks in Rhodes, came to discuss the Iraqi lines with Tall. He’ll demand that [the Jordanians] not replace the Iraqis without our consent and will demand an immediate answer (he’s meeting with him tomorrow, will demand an answer on Saturday [March 19][)]. And as to Lebanon, I decided that they should sign an armistice [agreement], of course – if Lebanon returns Rosh HaNikra station and removes the Syrian forces [from Lebanon], but I objected to postponing implementation [until] after the Syrian withdrawal [from the bridgehead at Mishmar HaYarden] because: 1) this agreement will fortify our standing in Eilat, 2) it will strengthen our position in talks with Transjordan, 3) it will facilitate action in the Triangle for us if we have to take action. It will reinforce our demands from the Syrians. Also, [we] don’t want to link one Arab state with another.

         – At the party meeting I demanded that instead of 2 [separate] committees, all issues be discussed within the party, which will give instructions both to government [members] and members of committees.

         – Afterwards a conversation with Ziama about the need to strengthen the group, and to mobilize the wage workers.

         – Soldiers’ Histadrut voting [results]: 23,424 soldiers, 1,476 women soldiers. The soldiers voted: in the cities 7,114 (55.16%) A, 4,549 (35.27%) M, 434 (3.3%) P, 539 (4.15) K, 262 (2%) Sh. In sum 12,898. [In the] moshavot 4,524 voted, of which A – 2,591 (51.27%), M – 1,523 (33.5%), P [?] 221 (4%), K 135 (2.9%), Sh 54 (1.1%).

      In the [labor-affiliated?] settlement [i.e., settlements affiliated with the labor movement and workers’ parties]2,836, of which A – 1,326 (47.1%), M 1429 (50.3%), P 46 (1.6%), K 21 (0.7%), Sh 4. Miscellaneous 3,166, of which A 1,540 (48.6%), M 1,369 (43.2%), P 83, K 126, Sh 48.

         Total 23,424, of which 12,581 (53.7%) A, 8,870 (37.8%) M, 784 (3.3%) P, 821 (3.5%) K., 368 (1.5%) Sh.

         Women soldiers 1,476, of which 823 (55.7%) A, 597 (40%) M, 28 P., 25 K., 3 Sh.

         In the cities: 664, of which 393 (59.1%) A, 237 (35.6%) M, 16 P, 15 K, 3 Sh.

         In the moshavot 162, of which 102 (62.9%) A, 51 (31.4%) M, 8 P., 1 K., Sh. 0.

         In the [labor-affiliated?] settlement [i.e., settlements affiliated with the labor movement and workers’ parties] 340: 178 (52.3%) A, 161 (47.3%) M., 1 P.

         Miscellaneous 310, of which 150 (48.3%) A, 148 (47.7%) M, P. 3, K 9.