יומנים > יומן - מלא 12/01/1949

Wednesday, January 12, 1949

Party council. Tension and high spirits. There were remarks by important members – Kadish, Baruch Eisenstadt, Lavi.

       – In the evening Ya’akov [Dori] brought me 3 astonishing telegrams.

1. From the headquarters [in] Egypt to the Egyptian commander in Hebron (sent 12.1020): “Block the Transjordanian forces, even by armed force. Keep them away from your surroundings, and threaten them with military measures if they do not draw back from your vicinity. Seal off the way to Beersheva at all costs. If they ask you about the roads leading to Beersheva, say: They’re mined.”
2. The Hebron commander’s reply (sent 121300):

“Re your cable 150/12 the situation is as follows:

In defending the two areas of southern Jerusalem and Husn [sp.] al-Dhahiriya [the Judean Hills, from Bethlehem to Dhahiriya], Transjordanian forces will join us. Regarding your cable we wish to inform you that we do not have the forces to fill the void in the event that they (the Transjordanian forces) are requested to vacate their positions and they agree to this; we will start laying mines along the roads to Beersheba as you requested. We will bring the Saraya [sp.] [?] (from Idhna) in order to buttress the al-Dhahiriya area and in place of them we’ll send the mufti’s men (Jihad Muqaddas] and the fighters. Most of the Jordanian forces are armored corps. Please send anti-tank weaponry. Please send a representative from the headquarters to assess the situation.

3. From the Transjordanian headquarters to the Transjordanian units (sent 120900). Confidential 1/1: “Based on reports I received regarding enemy movement, all the units and weapons should be in a state of alert and readiness, in order to carry out all the orders as determined by the situation. All the corps must remain in their forward, defensive, and reserve bases.”

       It follows that there is a joint plan of the British and the Legion to attack us in the Negev, and that the Egyptians severed ties with the British to the extent of that they are ready to go to war against the Transjordanians, to prevent them from capturing the part of the Negev taken from them by us, without Transjordan coming to their aid. The talks in Rhodes are timely.