Middle Israel: Netanyahu is digging up the Altalena to bury his own record - opinion
Netanyahu's plan to raise the Altalena wreck is designed to revive a political myth, redirect Israel's election debate and evade judgment over his own record.
The debate surrounding the Altalena has resurfaced as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims to have discovered the sunken ship. The Altalena, named after Ze'ev Jabotinsky's pen name, was an Italian freighter that sailed to Israel in 1948 with thousands of weapons. Its arrival triggered a confrontation between the Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the War of Independence.
The conflict resulted in the deaths of 19 Israelis, with Begin and his supporters framing it as a heroic stand against Ben-Gurion's alleged civil war. However, the opposing narrative portrays Ben-Gurion as a unifying force, having dismantled the left-leaning Palmach units. Netanyahu's announcement aims to divert attention from his own controversial actions during the conflict and to gain political capital ahead of the upcoming election.
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