Gun-running ship located 78 years after being sunk by Israeli military
In June 1948, Israeli forces opened fire and sank the boat in waters off Tel Aviv on the orders of David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister.
On Monday, Israel announced the recovery of the wreckage of the Altalena, a ship that had been sunk by the Israeli military 78 years prior. The Altalena was carrying weapons for the Irgun, a Zionist militant group that had clashed with British colonial authorities and Palestinian residents in its pursuit of Israel's establishment.
In June 1948, Israeli forces, led by Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, sank the Altalena off Tel Aviv's coast to maintain control and avoid a paramilitary rival to the new state, which was engaged in war with neighboring Arab nations. The ship was found intact at a depth of 503 meters, west of Israel's coast. Sixteen Irgun members and three Israeli soldiers lost their lives in the incident.
Irgun leader Menachem Begin had instructed his fighters to surrender peacefully to Israeli authorities, famously stating, "There will be no civil war with the enemy at our gates." Following the conflict, the Altalena remained on the sea before being towed out and sunk. The discovery of the Altalena's wreckage has been hailed by Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu as a reminder of the importance of addressing painful historical events.
The Ben Gurion Heritage Institute emphasized that uncovering the ship's remains is an opportunity to underscore the necessity of statehood over mere slogans.
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