יומנים > יומן - מלא 17/02/1948

Tuesday, February 17, 1948

I returned to Tel Aviv this morning. The convoy left on time - without delays or pauses along the way. We drove by way of Masmiyya-Yazur without any incident. The trip took 2½ hours.

       - Yigal [Allon] reports that according to his sources the Arabs are planning to blow up the bridges from the Huleh Valley to Safed. He wants to blow up the bridges between Acre and Safed, near Meron, first.

       I objected to this: We do not need to be the first ones to blow up bridges in the country. Our blowing up a bridge will not prevent them from blowing up [bridges]; on the contrary, it will intensify [the situation]. It could also spur the army into action. We need a bridge more than the Arabs do - we need motorized transport more. When I was traveling this morning from Jerusalem by way of Latrun- Masmiyya I marveled at every bridge we passed - why is it still intact?

       - Yisrael [Galili] brought [Yosef] Yaakovson and Gad Meknes to see me. Once again a Jaffa - Tel Aviv [cease-fire] arrangement. On Friday [the Englishman] Robinson came to see Yaakovson and told him on behalf of the Iraqi [Arab Liberation Army] commander in Jaffa ("a serious and cultured man") and on behalf of Rashid Riahi [sp.] (of Jaffa) that the rejection of the peace offer not authorized, but at the discretion of the secretary of the National Committee, Amin Bey. The "commander" proposes a 2-3-month arrangement for the entire Lod district. Yaakovson proposed making do with small measures: operation of the Lod - Jaffa railway (we'll be responsible for the Tel Aviv - Jaffa line) and Rosh Ha-''Ayin - Petah Tikva. Right now Tel Aviv has no oil [kerosene], mazut, construction materials, as long as the train isn't running. Merchandise for Tel Aviv and the surroundings is lying in Haifa - without turnover. He also suggested securing the Mikve Yisrael - Bet Dagan road. Gad Meknes and Yisrael view the proposal favorably.

       - At 4:30 the Mobilization Fund convened. Finished ahead of schedule. Remez delivered the shortest speech of his life.

       - In the evening I heard from Aryeh [should be: Uri] Yafeh of Maoz Haim regarding the battle at Tirat Zvi that began at 2:30 a.m. and lasted until yesterday afternoon. The commander was able to contain his impulse - and until 7 a.m. not a single shot was fired by our men - even though mortars and [light] machine guns were spewing fire for hours - until the Arabs drew close. Then [our men] opened fire, and forty attackers fell. [Our men] seized two [light] machine guns, about thirty rifles, tens of thousands of bullets. The impression in the surrounding area - [among] both Jews and Arabs - is tremendous. And rightly so! Well done!

       - The wireless operator at the Petah Tikva police station coincidently intercepted a cable to police stations stating: "The secret police intercepted a transmission by the Haganah commander in Jerusalem to resist searches by the army and police unless a Jewish police officer is present, in light of incident involving the murder of four Jews arrested by the army. It is unclear whether this refers only to Jerusalem or also to other places in the country; therefore all army and police personnel should exercise caution when searching for weapons among Jews."

       - In the evening I consulted with Kaplan, Shkolnik [Eshkol], and Zabrasky regarding the budget.

       Kaplan promised to send the telegraph to America [stating] that Golda's funds are earmarked entirely for defense, and that Hammer will receive instructions on this matter from me. Zabrasky presented a projected budget through the end of April: for February P£ 1,000,500, for March P£ 2,040,000, for April P£ 1,585,000. (Of this - according to the above calculations: upkeep of enlisted forces 600,000-700,000-700,000; personal equipment 75 thousand - 125 - 80; housing 100-100-100; battalion equipment 15-10-0; vehicles 150-150-100; reinforcement for settlements 10-10-0; Ta'as 50-50-50; foreign military manufacturing (?) 25-57-50; fortifications 150-400-200; air fleet 100-200-100; medical service 30-30-30; signal 25-25-25; sea craft 50-100-100; unforeseeable [contingencies] 70-65-50 (the numbers provided are in my view [just enough for] vehicles  - more might be required, fortifications, foreign military manufacturing? signal? sea craft).

       * A summary report from early October to February 16, 1948, was also submitted.

       From the Agency: October 75,000, Nov. 0, Dec. 124,146, Jan. 451,690, February 467,500, in total 1,118,337; Kofer HaYishuv: Oct. 10,000, Dec. 16,500, Jan. 25,000, Feb. 40,000, in total 91,500; Keren HaYesod: Nov. 75,000; Dec. 210,000; Jan. 65,000; in total 350,000; fundraising campaign: Oct. 240,000; Nov. 120,000; Dec. 247,500; Jan. 71,425; in total 358,425; [Zionist] General Council recurring loan Jan. 12,000, PICA [Palestine Jewish Colonization Association] donation Feb. 20,000, overall total 1,950,262 (income from the Agency includes: regular budget 75,000, $ ½ million from America = 124,147, from South Africa 250,000; from England 257,390, against the Anglo-Palestine Bank loan 450,000, against the debt (?) 1,800).

       Expenditures for B. Rabinov 1,571,800 (October 70,000 + 137,500 + 300,000 Dec. + Jan. 560,300 + February 474,000) [?] 2,000, for Ta'as 60,000, for SHAI 40,500, for chemical production 46,800, for foreign military manufacturing 23,300, for office expenses 2,579, for special purposes January 10,500, [?] 5,000, for the Negev 70,100, for fortifications 56,500, for Haifa port security 8,000, for the Safed emergency committee 5,000, in total 1,902,179.

       It's unclear to me what the large sums for Rabinov [head of the National Headquarters financial department] are [for].