From lost ship to new battleground: Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir using Altalena in election spat - analysis
Ben-Gvir publicized the find without informing Netanyahu or Defense Minister Israel Katz, surprising both men, a detail that quickly fed speculation about tensions between the coalition partners.
The discovery of the sunken arms ship Altalena has become a political battleground for right-wing politicians ahead of Israel's October 27 elections. The ship, which was carrying Jewish immigrants and weapons in June 1948, was involved in a conflict between the Irgun and Haganah, two factions in pre-state Israel. The conflict ultimately resulted in the death of 19 people and established the authority of the army over all military forces.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have used the Altalena's discovery to campaign on identity and victimhood rather than policy. Ben-Gvir, from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, announced the find, while Netanyahu kept his distance from Ben-Gvir at an election event. The vessel's recovery has been seen as a symbol of the historic marginalization of Israel's right and has been invoked by both leaders to rally right-wing voters.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
