Historical Context Reveals Deeper Truth Behind Altalena Ship Incident

The Altalena incident, where the newly formed Israeli Defense Forces shelled and set ablaze the Irgun ship Altalena in 1948, cannot be fully understood without its broader historical context. The conflict between the left-wing Haganah and the right-wing Irgun preceded the event, marked by the "season" in 1944-45 when the Haganah handed over Irgun members to the British, sometimes torturing or killing them. This animosity continued after Israel's establishment, with the left-wing leadership under David Ben-Gurion imposing harsh measures against right-wing activists, including blacklisting and immigration restrictions.

During the Altalena episode, Israeli Air Force pilots refused to bomb the ship, which carried vital arms for the War of Independence, reflecting their reluctance to attack fellow Jews over political disputes. Ben-Gurion then sought foreign volunteer pilots, who also declined. Ultimately, the order to shell the ship came from Yitzhak Rabin, who later described the precise and deliberate bombardment that caused casualties among those aboard and in the water. The left-wing forces, including the Palmach, opened intense fire on the ship, driven by deep-seated hatred toward the right-wing Irgun and its leader Menachem Begin.

Following the attack, Ben-Gurion recognized the gravity of his actions and attempted to conceal the incident by ordering the sunken ship moved farther offshore. Efforts by right-wing groups to erect a memorial near the site of the shelling were initially rejected, leading to a temporary monument near the location where Rabin was later assassinated. The article stresses that the Altalena affair was not merely a power struggle but a continuation of violent political hostility from the left against the right, rooted in the desire to maintain control and allegiance to the British prior to Israel's independence. The author, Shimon Riklin, plans to explore these themes further in an upcoming documentary.