יומנים > יומן - מלא 15/08/1948

Sunday, August 15, 1948

Along with [Major-General] Avner I formulated an outline for his responsibilities [in the Military Government], after the clarifications with Ya'akov Dori and the amendments he proposed, with Avner's agreement.

         - [Giora] Lubinski [Lotan] came to see me. The committee for the soldier's family was composed of five, [and] two effectively withdrew: [Eliezer] Perlson [Peri] (appointed to oversee food provisions) and Lipman Levinson [sp.] (went abroad). Isser Ben-Zvi, [Zelig] Rosetzky, [and] Lubinski [Giora Lotan] remain. 32,000 families are receiving payments - P£ 16.5 per month per wife, P£ 4 for a first child, rent. The monthly total is P£ 700,000. Of this P£ 30,000 is for the afflicted (disabled and widows). Lubinski opposes separating the committee for the soldier's family from the committee for the disabled and widows. He suggests establishing a legal institution that will be exempt from stamps and the like. I asked him for a written proposal. He asked about the income level for families. I referred him to Shkolnik [Eshkol].

         - At the Staff meeting, the delegation [on the state of the army - Yadin, Avidar, and Zadok] summarized its conclusions. In [Moshe] Zadok's view the brigades are short 7,000 men. 2,000 soldiers who are in the brigades need to be pulled out - the sick, disabled, [or] exhausted. New reserves [troops needed to fill the brigades] 5,000. Half the camp lacks hats, many lack shoes, a second uniform. Winter clothing should be arranged immediately. There isn't enough gear. There's a lack of vehicles. Instead of 50 vehicles there are 20 per battalion. There's no caution in the use of vehicles. The services are actually full. I asked Yigael [Yadin]: If the Arabs suddenly resume fighting - will we be ready? In his view - at this time only for defense; for attack we need another 4 weeks. I asked Yosef [Avidar] for all the personal equipment that's lacking and about how much it will cost.

         Afterwards a consultation with Ya'akov [Dori]. David [Shaltiel] was appointed inspector general. Mishal [Shacham] is being offered the position of area commander of the Central Front. There's no work [role] for Yisrael [Amir]. He was offered the position of military secretary - to appoint officers [head of the personnel administration]. Declines. [Dori] proposes writing to Moshe Mann - a letter to restore his dignity. I agreed to this, because I have a feeling that he was treated unjustly, even though it was necessary to replace him at the time.

         - Along with Ziama [Aran] I clarified the cultural activity needs in the army. A basic education, training for civilian life, Zionist-halutzi [pioneering] education, organization of frameworks [programs] for settlement and cooperative living.

         - In the afternoon Dr. [Aryeh] Altman came to see me. He wants the relations among political parties to be respectful and not hostile. He described the sequence of internal developments in his party: their withdrawal from the Zionist Organization, ETZEL's secession from the Haganah in 1937, Stern [LEHI]'s secession from ETZEL in 1940. When [Pinhas] Rutenberg came to the General Council [in 1940], they tried to join and share the burden. Some of their members engaged in sabotage. There was a danger that elements within ETZEL would take over [the party] - he prevented a disaster. LEHI was going to take over ETZEL - under Jabotinsky's orders Altman expelled the LEHI men from ETZEL. In 1946 they returned to the Zionist Organization - [as HaTzohar Party] under pressure from Altman, but they weren't met with understanding and his supporters were not reinforced; rather the prejudices and the hate towards them reinforce ETZEL. Where to now? To the army or to Herut [a political party founded by ETZEL]? In his opinion, whether the Revisionists will be a political party - or an underground - depends on me. They weren't included in the government, in the chairmanship [of the State Council (the Knesset)], they weren't given the chairmanship in any committee, not even in the foreign affairs committee. Their people aren't being accepted into the apparatus. There are 4,000 state officials - and revisionists among them. This reinforces ETZEL.

         I told him that our public's attitude towards them would be determined by their conduct. I told him about my conversations with Unichman during the last [Zionist] Congress, during which Unichman promised me that there would be a change in the Revisionists' conduct: no incitement against workers [labor movements], no indiscriminate support for the right just because it's the right, loyalty to the Zionist Organization. None of it happened. Their identification with ETZEL in the matter of the Altalena alienated even those who wanted to help them return. Although there is some harm in the ETZEL underground - there's no great danger. If ETZEL revolts - it will be put down. The country is small, everything is more or less known, and ETZEL is wrong in its assessment that those who oppose it are "vegetarian liberals." We're not itching to fight, and I'm helping Gruenbaum reach a peaceful arrangement, even though I don't believe as he does in the chances of an arrangement succeeding. But if it becomes necessary, they'll be put down forcefully and they won't raise their head.

         The Revisionists' exclusion from chairmanship is childish stupidity, but the attitude towards them won't change - as long as they don't change.

         - In the evening a celebration at Tel Litvinsky. Six thousand male and female soldiers. The evening after Tisha B'Av - in a Jewish state, in a Hebrew [Jewish] military camp. I spoke about the historical origin of the strength of the Jewish army - the spirit of non-surrender of the Jewish people since ancient times. Through the wars with their powerful neighbors during the First and Second Temple, the Exile [Diaspora], the destruction of European Jewry, the struggle against the White Paper, and up to these days - the war against the armies of Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Aram, Amalek of our time.

         - Ben-Moshe, an officer in the American army (major), engineer, who helped Ratner with the production of mor[tars], came to see me. He remains without work now. He told me he has the means to acquire information, and in ETZEL they think he's closely aligned with them. He wishes to inform me:

         A) 3 ETZEL battalions are being established abroad - in America, in France, [and] in Italy. B) ETZEL is planning to cause an incident in Jerusalem in about two weeks.

         He himself is now asking permission to leave for America for a little while, because of family business. Promises to return, and requests suitable work.