יומנים > יומן - מלא 14/12/1947

[Sunday,] December 14, 1947

Fritz [Shalom Eshet] is pessimistic about the Negev, and in his view it's necessary to evacuate all the settlements south of the Gaza - Beersheva line (14 settlements with about 400 people), and transfer them to the northern settlements (11 settlements with about 400-500 people). The reasons: there isn't enough equipment and it's impossible to send more. There are many Bedouins, and if Bedouin camps suffer harm there will be wave after wave of attack.

       I said: Why not send a reinforcement of, say, 500 men with weapons?

       Fortifications are also needed.

       We'll make fortifications!

       It will take two weeks.

       Maybe during the two weeks there won't yet be such a fierce attack?

       I asked him to prepare a plan for the fortification of the Negev, and I convened a number of associates from the Agricultural Center and Mekorot [the national water company] to discuss the proposals.

       I wrote to Moshe [Sharett], Kaplan, Teddy [Kollek], and Yehuda [Arazi] via Kaminsky, who's flying to America today.

       - Perlson [Peri] - on the withdrawal [from Jaffa - Tel Aviv neighborhoods]. [Tel Aviv Mayor] Rokach might travel to America anyway, in which case he [Perlson] will help him sort out the needs of the O-n [Organization - i.e., Haganah]. In Tel Aviv there are 270 policemen, the standard is 450. The [Jewish] Agency is claiming the RAF houses in Abu Gazala [sp.] for immigrant [housing] - as is the Organization [for a training camp].

       - I summoned [the engineer Yitzhak] Vilenchuk to take on the organization of production in Ta'as [home manufacture of weapons]. He's prepared to do so, if Slavin doesn't object.

       Ehud [Avriel] reports on good chances [of procurement in Czechoslovakia].

       In the afternoon a meeting with the economic circles regarding Kofer HaYishuv [the Yishuv's defense fund]. I explained the situation and the needs. They formulated a plan for indirect taxation that will bring in P£ 1 million per year.

       I asked Zabrasky to eliminate an ancient deficit of the Brigade [Palmach] - P£ 8,000.

       Ehud [Avriel] telegraphs: "I found a direct and serious connection for Klinger's sources, and after M. [presumably Munya Mardor] arrives we'll decide whether to cancel Klinger completely or continue with him as well. I've actually finished here in principle (? [Ben-Gurion's notation]), and I'll be able to implement when there's money."

       At 5 p.m. I was already in possession of Fritz [Eshet]'s Negev defense plan: 50 fighters for each settlement - in total 1,000 men; four strike [mobile] brigades [units], 66 in each - total 264 men; 20 men for a supplies brigade; a group of engineers 15; two Palmach companies 250; four airplanes - in total 1,549 men. The evacuation of children and women who are not serving to north of the Gaza-Beersheva [line]. For each settlement 4-5 fortification coverings [covered positions] (P£ 2,000 each). In large settlements - a fortified center to contain non-combatants. Triple barbed wire, minefield around each settlement. A mobile patrol of 15 men each around the settlements (two vehicles).

       At six I summoned, from the Agricultural Center - [Avraham] Herzfeld, [Yehuda] Horin, Shkolnik [Levi Eshkol]; from the [Histadrut?] Executive Committee - Ziama [Aran]; from Solel Boneh - Hillel Cohen. I said there's no defense in the Negev. P£ 200,000 is needed for additional personnel (a thousand men), fortifications, barbed wire, vehicles, airplanes, equipment, patrols, minefields, workers, etc. Herzfeld reported that the KKL along with Keren HaYesod is prepared to provide P£ 400,000 to reinforce the settlements and add places in the Negev, and is prepared to receive loans for this purpose. The electric company is prepared to lend 100,000 from pension funds, but the workers object. Nesher [the cement company] is prepared to lend 50,000. From these sums we can take 50,000 for our objective. We formed a committee: Yigal [Allon, Palmach commander], Eliezer Shoshani [Palmach treasurer], Ziama, Shkolnik, Herzfeld, Horin, Hillel Cohen - who will present a plan tomorrow morning for financing supplies, materials, and workers.

       - There are reports that along the road from Beit Nabala to Ben Shemen, Arab Legion men murdered 12 people from the convoy to Ben Shemen.

       - Ziama [Aran] proposes taking Ephraim Broido as [Jewish] Agency spokesman in Tel Aviv. [Aryeh] Ziv, the [government] censor, is prepared to accept our authority.

       At 8 p.m. [Haim] Slavin. Need to produce H. [nitric acid?] until we get T. [TNT?]. That means about 2 months. When we get T. we won't need any H. Receiving the first 30-40 tons of T. relieves us entirely from needing H. He's also about to receive new equipment for the production of H. and then he'll produce H. with Sobel's [?] help. The equipment will arrive from America in six weeks. Per the doctor's proposal a ton will cost P£ 650. When S. [?] receives the T. from abroad a ton (including shipment) will cost P£ 200.

       There's a guy in Haifa, Fortuna [sp.], who knows how to make H. and doesn't need the doctor at all. All the grumbling comes from Bogart [sp.] who worked with S. in the past.

       He agrees to a loan of $200,000 for ¾ of a year, on the condition that Kaplan is responsible. He wonders what happened to the half million dollars that Kaplan sent him. (Is this the amount that Baharal received, presumably for him?). I asked him whether the manufacture of Stens can be speeded up. If he gets additional experts to make machine tools - possibly. He'll give me a list of such experts - and we'll have to pull them out of their jobs.

       If he receives more experts he'll expedite other things as well, such as shells, bullets, etc.

       - The plan that was prepared for Kofer HaYishuv ([Jewish year] 5707 [1946-1947] income P£ 20,000) is built only on indirect taxes that will bring in about 85,000 per month: municipal transport 15,000 (one mil from a 20 mil ticket). From taxis and private vehicles 3,000, alcoholic drinks (wine, beer) 10,000, cigarettes 10,000, radio receivers 2,000, margarine, butter, and cheese 2,500, entertainment 3, 000, cement certificate [i.e., certification?] 4,000, travel abroad 1,000, oil products 1,000, obligatory certificate [bank check], credit, and insurance 1,000, chocolate 4,000, silk products, expensive textiles, etc. 5,000, import contribution 20,000, miscellaneous 2,000 - total 83,000 per month (tax of 5%).