The Altalena should be a warning, not a political weapon

The discovery of the Altalena, the arms ship sunk during a confrontation between Jewish forces only weeks after Israel’s establishment, should provide an opportunity for sober reflection. Instead, 78 years later, it has rapidly become another weapon in Israel’s election campaign.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both declared last week that the ship should serve as a symbol of national unity. Yet the timing of the announcement, the distortion of the historical memory surrounding the affair, and the competition over who could claim Menachem Begin’s legacy raise a different suspicion: that resurrecting the Altalena was intended not to heal an old wound, but to reopen it.

The wreck was reportedly located at a depth of about 500 metres, roughly 19 kilometres off the Israeli coast, following a search commissioned by the Heritage Ministry and conducted by the Survey of Israel.

That may be an important historical discovery. But its immediate politicisation tells us more about Israel’s current leadership than it does about the events of 1948.

Above all, the renewed focus on the Altalena highlights the gulf between Ben-Gurion and Begin, who ultimately acted to protect the newborn state, and Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, who appear prepared to exploit its most painful memories in pursuit of their narrower political interests.

The Altalena arrived from France on June 20, 1948, carrying about 900 Jewish immigrants and a large shipment of weapons acquired by the Irgun, the pre-state underground commanded by Begin.