יומנים > יומן - מלא 10/02/1948

Tuesday, February 10, 1948

In the morning we discussed the "Lamed Heh Plan" again. Ya'akov [Dori] disputes the military value of attacking places such as Fassuta, Tarbikha, ʿAilut, and the like. If it succeeds and the village or a large part of it is destroyed - they'll exclaim that we're attacking villages; if it doesn't succeed, then there's certainly no value. This is a reasonable opinion. So they'll make do with the bridges in Taytaba, Yazur, Tel Arish, Beit Surik.

       - We discussed purchases with Yehuda [Arazi]. 1,500 machine [gun]s - 675,000, 10,000 rifles, 480,000. 25 million rounds 2,000,000, 40 of 75 mm - 400,000; 40,000 shells - 960,000, 20 of 20 mm - 180,000, 20,000 shells 100,000. Total 4,795,000. 10,000 handguns - 400,000, a million bullets - 85,000, in sum 485,000, with the previous P£ 5,290,000. TNT isn't necessary because Yehuda is demanding 400,000 for the purchase of a ship on which we'll load 400 machine [gun]s, 30 tanks, 17 fighter planes, and other equipment that we received as a gift from the islands.

       The needs of the fleet will be discussed with experts (the airfield in Ramat David is about to be evacuated).

       The above accounting is based on Czech prices. According to Yehuda's information a rifle costs $ 28 (in Czechoslovakia $ 48), [light] machine gun - 500 (400 in C.) a thousand 303 bullets - $ 40 (in C. 82,3). 75 mm cannon - 10,000 (in Switzerland a cannon and a thousand shells [cost] 19,000 Swiss fr. or P£ 1,900[)].

       By American prices 1,500 machine [gun]s will cost 750,000 (in Czechoslovakia 600,000); 10,000 rifles 280,000 (in C. 480,000), 25 million bullets 1,000,000 (in C. 2,057,500) and combined with the rest 4,155,000 (rather than 5,290,000).

       - Mrs. [Leah] Vilenska, on behalf of WIZO, is disputing the confiscation of the club [for recruits]. There are 12,000 [WIZO] members in Tel Aviv. Although this [had been] a hospitality center for armies, it had been cleared out for a while. They demolished a smaller club - and they can't be left empty-handed now. I said I'd appoint a committee of three - one from WIZO, one from the "Organization," and one as my representative, and they'll make a final decision.

       - Bebe [Idelson], on behalf of the Moetzet HaPo'alot [Working Women's Council] and women, demands that women be included in the war. In what? Patrols, no. But in training, defense, and the front (!); also to arrange special services (formations of women, like the ATS [the Auxiliary Territorial Service of the British Army]) for field kitchens, driving, medical care. [David Zvi] Pinkas [one of the Mizrachi leaders] stated on behalf of the General Council that women were not to receive training (the General Council does not decide this!). She's also demanding women's brigades in the Civil Guard and the People's Guard, to care for soldiers, refugees, and so on. She proposes Shoshana Gershonovitz (a university student, bacteriologist, served in the ATS) as a member of the Staff. She also proposes Jenia Tversky from Jerusalem for welfare work in the Organization.

       - Yisrael [Galili] informs me that after consultations they agreed on slight changes in the orders [by way of Yehuda Arazi]: not 25 million 303 bullets, but 17 million. The rest via Ehud [Avriel]. Not 1,500 machine [gun]s [from the US], but 1,000. In addition 120 Vickers [machine guns].

       - The dissolution of the frontier corps resulted in the availability of (400) horses with their saddles. A horse can be bought for P£ 10 or 12. They're advising we buy 200. I agreed, on the condition that their maintenance not be at our expense, but that they be dispersed among the settlements. We need camels for the Negev.

       - [Yosef] Weitz and Shaul [Avigur]. Four parts. Part A: Another P£ 60,000 are needed to complete the previous plans [for fortification of the Negev] - [Plan] A (P£ 225,000) and [Plan] B (125,000), because their implementation costs 410,000 rather than 350,000. They've already spent P£ 325,000 and there's more to do: third fencing P£ 25,000 (?), lighting - 19,000, provisions for two months for a battalion of 500 men - 20,000, completion of armoring 10,000, two ambulances - P£ 6,000, and more completion of fortifications. They've already finished: double fencing at 25 settlements, 120 posts at 23 settlements, (work is still underway at two), fortifications - 15 settlements (work is underway at 10), water containers at 12 settlements, work is underway at one settlement, 12 don't need it, shelters - work is underway at 21 settlements.

       This plan applies to territory from Gvar'am - Ruhama to the Egyptian border and Eilat. It now includes [persons] in the north [northern Negev]: Gvar'am - 305 persons, Nir-Am - 225 p., Ruhama - 310 p., Dorot - 305 p. Beyond the state: Yad Mordechai - 360 p., Be'erot Yitzhak 230 p., - In total 1,735 persons. In 19 Negev settlements there are 750 persons, in total 2,485 (including about 500 children), 200 more people are about to be added to the settlements.

       There are 655 men from the brigade; Yigal [Allon] said they'd add 1,445. Yitzhak Sadeh proposes 1,000 [recruits] for the ''Arava - there will be 3,100 fighters, with the settlers 5,785. Right now there are 3,140 fighters and settlers.

       Aside from housing for the settlers - there's housing for the fighters: 35 barracks, each with 5 rooms - 175 rooms, for 2,000 men (?), 10 reading rooms with furniture, buildings for medical service for 27 beds and personnel, a transit camp in Nir-Am and warehouses (fortifications in Bet Ha'Arava, Gal On, and Kedma).

       Transport: 18 armored vehicles have already been sent to the Negev. 12 are about to be finished by the end of February, 10 vehicles for transport for the work of armoring, 20 vehicles in the garage for repair and armoring - in total 60 vehicles. 2 tractors for the work of armoring (not yet in the Negev). In Nir-Am, Revivim, and Tze'elim - tracks [runways] for takeoff.

       The budget of P£ 410,000 includes an additional 1,200 men (545 + 655 ?).

       8 settlements in the "neck": Be'erot Yitzhak, Negba, Ruhama, Dorot, Nir-Am, Gvar'am, Be'er Tuvia, Kefar Warburg, 6 outside the state: Yad Mordechai, Nitzanim, Gat, Gal On, Kedma, Kefar Menachem, Kefar Darom. 19 in the Negev: Revivim, Halutza, Nevatim, Bet Eshel, Hatzerim, Ramat HaNegev, Tze'elim, Urim, Gvulot, Mivtahim, Nirim, Tkuma, Be'eri, Sa'ad, Mishmar HaNegev, Shoval, Sde Akiva, ''Alumim, Kefar Darom.

       [Part] B. 1,000 men for the ''Arava - P£ 750,000.

       Five fortified settlements along the length of the ''Arava P£ 75,000. A fortification in Umm Rashrash for 500 men - P£ 150,000; reinforcing the police stations in ''Ein Husub [Hatzeva], organizing [the police in] Kurnub [Mamshit] - P£ 8,000.

       Transport and armoring - 140,000 (40 combat vehicles, 12 vehicles for other purposes, 4 ambulances, 35 small vehicles, 15 transport vehicles, garages, fuel containers, miscellaneous).

       Medical service - P£ 20,000; weapons [store]rooms - 5,000; air transport service - 15,000.

       Road to Raz Zawira from Sdom - 36,000.

       Reading rooms and telephones - 20,000.

       Personnel upkeep for seven months - P£ 150,000; maintenance of vehicles and fuel - P£ 100,000; miscellaneous - 31,000.

       [Part] C, To add another 900 fighters and a budget of P£ 1,010,000 to the Negev by October (beginning in March). For housing (barracks, warehouses, camp, beds, mattresses, etc.) - P£ 226,800; addition of three settlements - P£ 24,000; reinforcing five police [stations] (''Isluj, Al-''Imara [Tkuma], Iraq-Suweidan near Negba, and others) - 10,000; transport (35 armored vehicles for fighters, garage, vehicles and workshop, 30 small vehicles, 15 transport vehicles, 10 vehicles for fuel transport, containers for fuel) - 150,000; laying mines at the settlements - 20,000; personnel upkeep (P£ 20 per person) in February - 15,000; from March onwards 2,100 (of this we already have 655, another 545 has already been budgeted, 900 has not yet been budgeted) - 340,000; maintenance of machines, repair, and fuel - P£ 100,000; weapons [store]room - 10,000; airfields - 40,000; signal and telephone - 10,000; medical service - P£ 22,000.

       In sum: A. [Addition] to previous budget P£ 60,000; B - for the ''Arava 750,000, C - for settlement 250,000, D - for reinforcement of the [front]lines 1,010,000. In total 2,070,000, another 30,000 for the unforeseeable. In total 2,100,000.

       The KKL board agreed to half. I suggested that the KKL take all of it upon itself - everything necessary for the Negev. For this fee it will receive lands in the Negev and be released from participating in security expenses in the other parts of the country.

       [Part D]. Weitz proposes eliminating the settlement of Kefar Darom and transferring the people to the northern Negev. He suggests sending [Bechor] Sheetrit to the Negev - as an adjudicator and intermediary with the Arabs, and Assaf Gur - as governor.

       - In the afternoon Dr. Breen [sp.] from Tiberias came to see me: A week ago shots were fired (some say a drunken Jew started it). [People] have begun leaving the city. Arabs are sending their families to the major cities and to Hamma [Hamat Gader]. The Jews [in the city of Tiberias] - about 150 families. 500 people went to Achva, Mimunia, Kiryat Shmuel [Jewish neighborhoods]. Property is steadily disappearing from our hands. Yesterday "Brigadier" Avraham Yoffe visited the city and said: either a fighting force comes in - or [people] should leave the city (he said this to area commander Optik [should be: Optikman - Pinhas Yoeli] and to Eli Ettinger, deputy [commander] of the city). He's demanding that an additional 50 men be sent to the city.

       - Immediately after him, the principal of Kadoorie School [an agricultural school near Kefar Tavor] came to see me: He has a [light] machine gun with 2,000 [bullets], 7 Stens with 4,000 bullets, a mortar, 19 rifles with 2,400, a hunting rifle, 30 bombs, 140 hand grenades. They need another 18 rifles (for 12 posts), barbed wire for 2 km (P£ 700 on the black market), fortifications, telephone poles P£ 150, fortification P£ 250, a pickup truck P£ 500, credit for 6 months for supplies and fuel for 3 months P£ 1,000, in total they need P£ 4,000. He has two generators. He's prepared to turn over one (57 hp), valued at P£ 2,000.

       - At four a meeting of the Defense Committee. [Ya'akov] Riptin finally accepted my proposal to examine [complaints regarding incidents of] lawlessness in the "Organization," without informing the Defense Committee.

       The committee decided to release [anyone who is] an only son (with no sister either) from service at the front. He'll only serve in the garrison force or by working or in an office.

       It was also decided to enlist vehicles and drivers.

       - Details of a plan for the Negev: 3 battalions (700 men each) in the north, 2,100 men; 1 battalion in the south (1,000 men) - altogether 3,100.

       In the south: 5 fortified settlements, each with 60 men (for the south) - 75,000 (each P£ 15,000), housing for 60 men - P£ 3,000, fortification of the settlement and posts 6,000, mess hall and kitchen 1,500, lighting 1,500, water arrangements 500 (?), sanitary arrangements 500, storeroom 500, miscellaneous 1,500. Stronghold for 500 men in Eilat P£ 150,000. Reinforcement of four police [stations] (P£ 2,000 each) 8,000. Transport and armoring P£ 140,000 (40 combat vehicles (aside from those already ordered under stages A - B) 1,100 each), in total 74,000; 12 machines for workshop, tow truck, and fuel transport - P£ 2,000 each - P£ 24,000; 4 ambulances 8,000; 35 small vehicles (800 each) 28,000; 15 vehicles for transport (1,400 each) 21,000; garage - 6,000; fuel containers 6,000; miscellaneous 3,000; medical service 20,000; storerooms 5,000; aircraft runways 15,000; a 12 kilometer road 36,000; reading rooms and furniture 15,000; signal equipment 5,000; personnel upkeep for seven months (P£ 21 per month) 150,000; maintenance of vehicles (100 vehicles and repair) for 6 months 64,000; gasoline and oil for 6 months 32,000; miscellaneous 4,000; P£ 100,000; miscellaneous 31,000 - along with southern battalion P£ 750,000.

       For northern battalions P£ 1,395,350.

       - In the evening [Yosef] Yaakovson came to see me. He'd been visited by Robinson [an English government official who wanted to arrange the citrus export], who wants to stay in the country and tried to achieve a Jewish-Arab agreement regarding the citrus market. He'd met with Corby [sp.] (director of the railways) and with the military commander in Jaffa. The Jaffa-Lod line is suspended. The Jewish cargo in Lod was returned to Haifa. Corby complained that the Jews are not approaching him. He wants to help. 90% of the railway employees are Arab. The Jews don't have workers, and the army had to take the railway into its own hands. But [for the purpose of withdrawing from the country] the army will only use the Hadera-Haifa line and will suspend all the others, and in so doing will destroy the economic life in the country. Robinson wrote to [UN mediator Ralph] Bunche [to say] that the situation is worsening. All the junior British officials are pro-Arab. Cadogan [British ambassador to the UN] stated that they won't be permitted to help the [UN] committee. The Arabs will also refuse to serve. They're only interested in theft, and all the transportation by rail and on the roads will come to an end - and with it, economic life in the country. Therefore, the committee should organize a technical and military force to overcome the chaos that will soon reach its peak, or they should ask England to take upon itself [the maintenance of] order.

       And as to Jaffa - there's scampering between citizens, who want a normal life, and the military cult, who think the main thing is to deliver a blow to Tel Aviv. The potential blow is economic. He was certain that the civilian force would prevail - Abd al-Rahim (a prominent merchant) was on the committee, but in recent days "foreigners" have reached Jaffa, one of them is the deputy of Hasan Salameh [commander of the gangs in the Lod-Ramle area] and he controls the city. Yesterday a Jaffa man, one of the important ones, came and told Robinson that he'd met with the commander, who rejected an arrangement. When he argued that this means Jaffa would be cut off - he answered: "It doesn't matter, as long as Tel Aviv is cut off." Moderates no longer have any influence. Robinson contacted Corby [sp.] and informed him of this. - Now they're fixing the Petah Tikva [-Rosh Ha'Ayin] line [track] (the Arabs destroyed the bridge; the Lod line is destroyed).

       In Yaakovson's view, the Arab orchards should no longer be protected, and Jaffa should be stricken in every possible way. The Arabs have proceeded [with harvesting] their fruit, in a month they'll be done - and then they'll cause trouble for us.

       Yaakovson praises the procurement committee, especially [Aharon] Becker, "a dear and important man, a true man." [Aryeh] Weinberg has started the work, and Tnuva-Express needs to be asked to release [Yitzhak] Mitrani [sp.]. He [Yaakovson] resigned from the NH [National Headquarters] - because he doesn't want to be subordinate to HaIhud HaEzrahi, and the NH is also fictional in his eyes.