יומנים > יומן - מלא 14/10/1948

Thursday, October 14, 1948

[Michael] Ziv proposes bringing the attorney Greenwood (?) from Canada; [he] was an officer in the war, is a good Zionist, for GAHAL [foreign recruitment, but this should be: MAHAL, enlisted volunteers from abroad]. Harold Jaffer [Jaffe] isn't enough.

       He proposes establishing a special department for logistics in the Ministry of Defense.

       In England they signed a contract with the country for 3,000 tons of [orange] juice (they requested 6,000 tons, but the country didn't grant this). This year there appears to be a harvest of 5-6 million [barrels] of oranges, of which: 1¼-1½ million barrels [are used] for 3,000 tons [of juice], 1 million barrels were sold to Europe, [and] the country will consume 1-1½ million barrels. There's an inclination to cancel the contract - Ziv warns against this.

       He asks if it's a good idea to bring a delegation [of Parliament members] now: Jennie Lee [Labour], [Richard] Crossman [Labour], Clement Davies [Liberal], Walter Elliot [Conservative]. Manufacturers also want to send delegates. I advised waiting.

       Ziv believes that not enough attention is being paid to public opinion. We have an interesting "story" for England and Europe, and [we] aren't "selling" it.

       Tourism could be an important source for the country - and it's not good that the department is in the hands of the Ministry of Aliya. Ziv will be returning to London in a week.

       - The engineer Shag [Shlomo Ginzburg] (Operations Department) showed me a map of the roads being laid in advance of the winter:

       In the south between Kefar Menahem, Kastina, Gal On, Karatiyya - 26 km - it will cost P£ 70,000. The KKL [Keren Kayement LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund] is contributing 20,000. To Barqa and Beit Daras [the Gan Yavne road and sorthward] - 10,000; from Lod to Bir Ma'in [west of Beit Sira], from Ben Shemen to Midya [Modi'in] and elsewhere - 106,000. A road along the coast from Herzliya to Kefar Vitkin - 25,000, in the north roads at 100 [thousand]. 300,000 was approved for fortifications and roads, of which 45,000 remains for roads.

       - The deployment of forces to the Negev was delayed last night, and they'll only deploy tonight.