Netanyahu Issues Separate Statement on Altalena Discovery Amid Criticism from Ben Gvir

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a separate statement near the Etzel Museum in Tel Aviv on Monday regarding the historic discovery of the Altalena shipwreck, instead of participating in a joint ceremony with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu. The statement was made after bathers were cleared from the area by Netanyahu's security detail. Netanyahu pledged to raise the Altalena from the sea depths as a tangible symbol for current and future generations, emphasizing "never again a civil war." The ship was found intact at a depth of 503 meters off Israel's coast during a secretive, complex maritime search operation conducted over several years.

Ben Gvir's team sharply criticized Netanyahu for not appearing publicly with them, accusing him of meeting behind closed doors but avoiding joint public appearances. Ben Gvir, who has been a leading advocate for locating the shipwreck alongside the Heritage Ministry, highlighted the Altalena's symbolic importance as representing a national camp that was historically ostracized and delegitimized. He referenced Menachem Begin's experience with persecution and emphasized the principle of brotherhood despite internal conflict.

Ben Gvir also described the search for the shipwreck as a moral and ethical duty, honoring the 16 Etzel fighters who died aboard. He shared a personal connection, noting his mother was a proud Etzel fighter and that his upbringing included stories of both heroism and persecution. The Altalena arrived in Israel in June 1948 carrying Etzel fighters, weapons, and military equipment, and its confrontation became a painful and defining moment in Israel's early history, resulting in the deaths of 16 Etzel members and three IDF soldiers.

The search mission, initiated by Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and led by Roni Sade from the Maritime Mapping Department at the Israel Mapping Center, marks a historic step in preserving Zionist heritage sites in the maritime domain. The discovery was made using a ship equipped with advanced sensors and survey systems.