יומנים > יומן - מלא 13/03/1948

March 13, 1948

Hai [Yissacharov] returned from London yesterday: he had set out from there on Wednesday and overnighted in Malta. The aircraft purchase did not go through. There is an embargo on aircraft to our country-meaning, to the Jews. There was an import license, there was even a recommendation from the Commissioner ("without the aircraft being used for war purposes") but when the Colonial Office approached the Foreign Office, it replied 4-5 days later that Bevin himself found that it shouldn't be allowed in any way. Hatred of the Jews is immense and growing. Official sources are fanning the hate, but the morale of the Jews and the Zionists is firm. Hai attended the Po'ale Tsiyyon convention-there were lots of young people and a crowd there. [Robert] Weltsch asked his "friend" from the Foreign Office how to reconcile "neutrality" with bringing in gangs from the outside. They answered: That's neutrality: The Jews have weapons and organization; the Arabs ought to have it, too, and it's possible if they bring it in from the outside. It's worth comparing this with the remarks of [Colonel] Lond-the military expert of the UN committee in Jerusalem: the Arabs have armor and artillery; the Jews have no effective response. He, Lond, is convinced that the British won't allow heavy equipment to be brought in through Haifa on May 15. He considers the Arab Legion a grave, decisive menace. In his opinion, the British behavior is intended to help destroy the Yishuv. [He] sees the Jewish situation as worse than the situation of his homeland in 1940 (he is Norwegian). He reemphasizes the need to prepare masses of equipment and air power ahead of May 15. These conclusions of his are based on his talks with the military authorities. The regime they're preparing here after May 15 is clear from the remarks of Sir H[artley] Shawcross in Parliament on March 10, 1948: Speaking of the international status of Pal. after our withdrawal-it would not be an independent sovereign State for some time at least. If the commission was able to exercise effective control, Palestine would become an area entitled to legal recognition and held in trust with a view to its development according to the wishes of the UN. If the commission did not succeed, and Jews and Arabs did not find some accommodation and establish their own form of government, Palestine would no longer possess any de jure government or have a government entitled to recognition in international law. Until things had developed and some new organisation had gained power the ultimate legal status of Palestine would have to be suspended and await upon developing circumstances and facts. The plot is clear without doubt: The UN committee won't be allowed in any way to "establish effective control" in the country because they're introducing camouflaged armies from the neighboring lands that will prevent it. No international situation and status will come about here-and the British fleet won't not allow the immigrants and the equipment to be brought into the Jewish territory. The Jewish governing council won't be recognized and only after "some new force seizes enough power"-namely, the Arabs. As Bevin pictures it, "the final status of the country will be determined," meaning that an Arab government will be recognized. In the meantime, the government is leaving itself with unlimited latitude and no external and international oversight after May 15, when NcNeil said at the end of the debate: "After May 15, Britain would take only such action (that's enough!) for the maintenance of law and order as was necessary (that's enough!) to facilitate completion of the withdrawal of her forces, and added words of importance that Parliament, of course, would have no interest in insisting upon. It is obviously impossible to draw a precise line" (Times, March 11, 1948). - In response to the cable to Ruth [Eliav] about whether she sent money to NY, to whom, why, and I said I'd received an answer today, that since October she had sent from Brazil 47,000 (?) and Argentina $750,000, and from January 28 on, 350,000 for defense (to whom?). Another 400,000 will be sent in a few days; Uruguay has sent 100,000 thus far. She doesn't know about the other countries. In Chile, they haven't begun yet. They are heading to NY on March 16.