04 Dec 1935 - Tel Aviv

[Diarist]

We flew early to RAF Ramleh near Tel Aviv then Sally, Orde, Thomas and I drove to a street café in the 'White City'. A new district in the rapidly expanding city. It is estimated that more than a quarter of all Jews in Palestine live in Tel Aviv. A huge contrast to the nearby port of Jaffa which is 90% Arab. There are many German Jews in Tel Aviv including architects made evident by the many buildings with the modern Bauhaus design. Its a bustling city and alive. I could enjoy living here, Sally too. Two gentlemen sat at our table and two more sat where are security were.
"Shalom aleichem!" The elder of the two said, "I'm David Ben-Gurion. It's such a beautiful morning I thought you would prefer it to a stuffy office."
"Aleichem shalom," I answered. "I'm Bob Carter, my wife Sally, Major Orde Wingate and Warrant Officer Thomas Shaw, both from Combined Operations."
"My colleagues are from Haganah, Eliyahu Golomb here is a Haganah commander. The Irgun commander prefers to meet you later alone. One of my colleagues will take you there."
"Sally will accompany me, she speaks Hebraic."
"We know who she is and who Thomas is too." Sally gave me a questioning look. "You don't know, Sally? You are sitting next to the famous Lawrence of Arabia."
"Then you know that he is a friend of the Hashemites not the al-Husseini rabble."
"Naturally. Your secret is safe with us, colonel. I'm honoured to meet you personally."
"We are honoured to meet the de facto leader of the Yishuv."
"How was your meeting with the Grand Mufti yesterday?"
"It could have been more constructive. I'm hoping for more rewarding conversations here in Tel Aviv."
"Then let us begin."
"Troubling times at the moment. The al-Quassam incident is more serious than previous incidents, isn't it?"
"Yes, the outpouring of support surprised us too."
"While on the run the group received considerable support from the local communities."
"Yes, they did."
"Since we have a common problem we should look for a common solution. The time is opportune. The High Commissioner is pro-Jewish, so are Orde and I. We are the real military commanders here but that information has not been made public. You may have noticed that none of us are diplomats from the Foreign Office. We are asking for a six month moratorium on both sides - no attacks against anybody. Officially to allow my staff to propose a solution aimed at ending the violence here. This is the unofficial reason." I gave him our plans for Palestine and Transjordan. "For you both to read but keep to yourself. I want the document back. We need six months to prepare. Use the knowledge to convince others but give no details. I've been told that you are good at keeping secrets."
"London has approved this?"
"London doesn't know about this and that's why you can't tell anybody. You have to stop the smuggling too. You don't need to. Orde, show him your plans."
"That also explains the Hashemite connection. No independent Arab Palestine."
"Al-Husseini should be given a country to govern? He's a fan of the Nazi's. Ironically, Adolf Hitler is unknowingly helping to create a Jewish state here and the Grand Mufti is praising his anti-Jewish policies. That appeals to my very British sense of humour. We need to secretly cooperate, David. Orde is moving his headquarters to Jerusalem. It will not be in the King David Hotel. So, do I have your support?"
"Bob, this is a dangerous plan but it is the best I've seen so far."
"So you shall continue the Havlagah (Restraint) policy?"
"Yes, that is my aim."
"Thank you. Shalom. Where do we meet the Irgun?"
"Ignaz will take you."

[Diarist]

Apparently we were brought to a house in the vicinity of Rehov HaAm ("Street of the people"). That's what I learned later when I retraced my steps on a street map. In the house we met Avraham Tehomi, the commander of the Irgun. "I have made some enquiries about you MAJ Carter and you are not exactly a person who I expect to talk about peace."
"Peace? If I wanted to talk about peace this wouldn't be the right address, would it?"
"Then why do the powers in London wish to speak with the Irgun?"
"My superiors in London don't know I am here and they probably wouldn't approve my being here either."
"Then why are you here?"
"I want a six month moratorium on your actions. In return we prepare this then enable an independent sovereign Jewish state. Israel?" I gave him my notes and Orde's training plan.
"Joint activities?"
"Joint responses to Arab attacks during the moratorium."
"Then what afterwards?"
"That would depend on the Arab response but we need a moratorium first. Why is that so difficult?"
"You are asking us to follow Haganah's Havlagah and that makes it difficult to convince others."
"A moratorium is not restraint, Avraham. It's just a tactical pause in order to regroup. I didn't realize that impatience is a Jewish trait. Look, we know that the anti-Jewish organizations are purchasing weapons like you are therefore a conflict is inevitable and you are greatly outnumbered. This plan would enable us to legally arm a Jewish security force and in six months we shall have a lot more troops here, both Jewish and British. If they start an armed conflict they'll lose."
"How do you get London to support this?"
"London is not a problem. There are already planning increased security in the region. A new armoured division is being created in Alexandria for use in Palestine, Avraham. All we have to do is wait for the Arabs to make their move. You know that they won't accept a Palestinian partition plan."
"I need time to consider it and talk to others."
"There is nothing to consider. I'm going Amman then Iran before returning to Europe so you have almost three days to convince your colleagues to accept the moratorium but don't mention any details you have from these documents. A general outline will have to suffice."
"I'll talk to the other leaders."
"I need to get back to my colleagues."
"Ignaz will show you the way."
After five minutes Ignaz told us to continue down the road. It leads to the square where the street café is.
"Bob, you make it sound so easy."
"It isn't but the people here don't need to know that. If we get the moratorium we are buying time and that will gain us support at home. The increase in forces here is already planned, so is the training of a larger Jewish police force. Orde will give them the necessary military training and since we shall be equipping them with captured Italian weapons there will be little cost to the British taxpayer."
"Then an Arab attack will start the ball rolling."
"Exactly. London won't be deciding anything. Sally, this can't be resolved through diplomacy. The sad fact is that they will have to fight it out but that can't be the official British government policy. With a moratorium we can show that we are exploring and encouraging a diplomatic solution."
"And if British troops are involved then at least on our terms."
"...and with enough firepower to protect themselves. I don't want them caught in the middle. If they are on the winning side then we have an ally. Now we need an Arab ally in the form of Emir Abdullah. Next stop Amman."
We found the café and our colleagues.