Gun-running ship located 78 years after being sunk by Israeli military
Summary
Israel has found the sunken wreckage of the ship Altalena, which was sunk by Israeli military forces in 1948 during a conflict between the new Israeli government and the Irgun militia. The ship carried weapons and its sinking marked a serious internal clash just after Israel’s founding.Key Facts
- The Altalena was an arms-smuggling ship carrying weapons for the Irgun, a militant group involved in fighting British rule and local enemies before Israel’s founding.
- In June 1948, Israeli forces sank the Altalena off the coast of Tel Aviv on orders from Prime Minister David Ben Gurion to unify military power and prevent rival armed groups.
- Sixteen members of Irgun and three Israeli soldiers died in the confrontation.
- The shipwreck was found intact at a depth of 503 meters near Israel’s coast, 78 years after the sinking.
- The Altalena event showed divisions within Israel’s early political and military groups, which influenced the country’s future politics.
- Menachem Begin, leader of Irgun who later became prime minister, urged fighters not to start a civil war during the incident.
- Israel erected a monument in 2008 to honor those who died on the Altalena.
- The government views the discovery as a historical moment but not a reason to reopen past conflicts.
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