יומנים > יומן - מלא 16/01/1948
[Friday,] January 16, 1948
In the morning a meeting of members. The matter of the refineries [in Haifa] was sorted out: 350 Jewish workers, 450 Arabs, 40 Jewish notrim [British-appointed guards], 50 Arab notrim, 250 British soldiers, a mobile British patrol. Payment for lost workdays. [We're] recommending that a company in London [pay] compensation to families [of those killed in the attack on the refineries].
- Karlenboim [Yosef Almogi] telephones: Many explosions in Arab Haifa, lots of Arabs killed, panic and tension. There's no transportation between Jewish and Arab Haifa. They're advising that people refrain from traveling [to Haifa, because anyone arriving must pass through the Arab city].
- 11:30 Yisrael [Galili]: Moshe [Zelicki-Carmel] was instructed to transfer a company with its equipment to the Upper Galilee. On Sunday an engineer will go to the north ([Noah] Atlas or [Israel] Blumenfeld). A labor manager from the department of HaKibbutz HaArtzi, [Israel] Feinmesser, will be [in the north] for two weeks for the purpose of implementation. Barbed wire was sent.
- [Ian - Yaacov Yannai] on the matter of signal: men and equipment. Arrangements were made for brigade schools to complete the necessary signal [capabilities]. A countrywide course is coming to an end in Shefayim and brigade courses will begin. Need another 250 devices for static signal, up to 1,000 field devices, 150 devices to accompany convoys, 1,400 telephones. He opposes in-country manufacture - there are no experts or reserve parts. He suggests that he and a professional fly to America. The material captured [from the army] contains unsuitable devices.
- Yossi Hamberger [Harel], commander of the two ships [the Pans] returned to the country.
- ETZEL and LEHI approached the Upper Galilee moshavot [rural communities of private farms] and suggested sending an armed squad to each one.
- There's a question regarding the children (3,000) who will be arriving from Cyprus and sent to settlements (Nitzanim!). Sukenik [Yigael Yadin] was tasked with assessing the unsuitable settlements [dangerous for immigrant absorption].
- I informed Ehud via Levi [Kopilevich [sp.] - Argov] that speed of procurement and delivery outweigh low cost, and that he should examine options for the purchase of anti-tank and [anti-]aircraft cannons and for other purposes, and buy whatever he can; that he should report on realistic chances of procurement in the near term and the amount of funds he needs.
- [The preparation of] 150 large mortars with 25,000 shells will cost P£ 100,000. Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir] is prepared to do this if he's given a third now, and two thirds over the course of 30 months.
At a gathering of friends with [Haim] Ben-Asher the question of hasbara [explanation, public relations] and education (basic education for those who are uneducated, vocational education, political Zionist education, artistic cultural content) was raised. Ben-Asher proposes having a daily newspaper for soldiers (we tasked Ben-Asher, Pinhas [Lavon], Elhanan [Yishai], and Isser [Ben-Zvi] with looking into this proposal). For cultural officer they suggest Mirsky [sp.] [Nahman Tamir, from Haifa] or Asael Davidson [Ben-David]. They suggest Elhanan [Yishai] instead of Rabsky [David Reshef] as youth officer [Gadna (Youth Battalion) commander]. Elhanan wants to enlist and go to a platoon commanders course. The hasbara department of the National Headquarters includes [Zelig] Rosetzky, [Shimon] Wasserman, Isser [Ben-Zvi]. In the Staff: Ahuvia [Malkin], Shalom Zysman, Moshe Shamir. Tchernetsky [sp.] [the poet "Ze'ev"] left. We tasked the committee with preparing a plan for the seminar [that will be instituted] in Beit Berl.
- In the evening the Committee of Three. [Dr. Aron] Barth rejects a fundraising campaign of 2 million. They suggest a loan from banks and from lending institutions. There's supposedly 60 million in deposits. The Agency will grant a loan [at an interest of] 6%. Levi [Shkolnik-Eshkol] is prepared to devote most of his time to defense.
- From 9 to 12 a consultation on Beit Berl during this period.