Finding the ‘Altalena,’ surfacing history

The article recounts the 1948 Altalena Affair, a pivotal event in Israeli history involving a ship carrying arms for the Irgun, which resulted in a deadly confrontation with the newly formed Israel Defense Forces. On June 20, 1948, the Altalena, despite prior agreements with the Defense Ministry, came under fire while attempting to unload its cargo at Kfar Vitkin and later off the Tel Aviv shoreline. The incident, which occurred during a UN-declared truce and arms embargo, led to 19 deaths, including 16 Irgun members and three IDF soldiers, and dozens wounded. The ship was eventually sunk at an undisclosed location a year later, but its wreckage has recently been located after 15 years of searching. The article emphasizes that the Altalena incident was a culmination of decades of inter-party rivalry and animosity between the Revisionist Zionist movement and Labor Zionists, rather than an attempted putsch by the Irgun. The author suggests that beyond remembering the event, understanding the motives and grudges that fueled the conflict is crucial to prevent similar prejudices from resurfacing. The article also notes that "Altalena" was Ze'ev Jabotinsky's nom de plume, suggesting that his legacy should be re-examined.