Israel’s Ministry of Heritage is seeking to find the sunken Altalena ruins in a bid to strengthen unity by reopening one of Israel’s darkest chapters.
HERITAGE MINISTRY INVESTING 1 MILLION NIS IN SEARCH OF SUNKEN SHIP
The year was 1948. The British Mandate had just ended, five Arab nations were attacking the newly independent Israel, and due to a UN agreement to let the Jews and Arabs fight their war, Israel’s first prime minister David Ben-Gurion was in urgent need of a plan.
Following pogroms and violence between Arabs, Jews, and even British forces prior to the UN Partition Plan, multiple Jewish military factions emerged to defend the Jewish population. The Haganah, led by Ben-Gurion, cooperated with British forces. The Etzel, or Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, pursued more preemptive tactics independent of the Haganah. As the British withdrew, Begin and Ben-Gurion agreed to unify their forces into one national military entity: the IDF. But miscommunication and mistrust led to one of Israel’s darkest early chapters — the Altalena affair.
The Altalena vessel, organized by Etzel members in the United States and France, was set to deliver 150 million francs worth of ammunition and weapons to the IDF. Also on board were 950 new immigrants eager to join the Etzel. When the ship docked at Kfar Vitkin, IDF soldiers awaited to transfer the cargo. After a dispute over its destination, IDF troops were ordered to sink the ship.
To this day, it remains unclear who fired the first shot. But the tragedy left 16 Etzel members and three Haganah soldiers dead.
As Israel fought for survival against hostile neighbors, it stood on the brink of civil war. The Altalena affair remains a symbol of division and its heavy price.
Division persists in Israeli society today, and as enemies once again threaten, unity is more crucial than ever. The Ministry has now invested 1 million shekels to search for the Altalena remains off the coast of Tel Aviv — hoping to close this painful chapter in a positive way and remind Israelis that standing strong together is the only path to survival.