Dr. Yehuda Shalem Links Altalena Sinking to Left-Wing Political Undermining in Israel
Dr. Yehuda Shalem, vice chairman of the Professors for National Resilience and a member of the editorial board of HaUma, argued in an interview with Channel 7 that David Ben-Gurion ordered the sinking of the Altalena ship for political reasons rather than military ones. Shalem contends that Ben-Gurion feared the impact of the weapons brought by the Irgun on public opinion ahead of imminent elections, rather than concerns about a "state within a state" or military unity. He connects this event to later left-wing actions against the Revisionist camp, including the Arlozorov murder case, which aimed to curb growing public support for Ze'ev Jabotinsky and his followers.
Shalem sharply criticizes Ben-Gurion, stating that his decision harmed the military effort during Israel's War of Independence. He compares this to the actions of the "Brothers in Arms" group during the "Galant Night" period, which weakened the IDF and emboldened Hamas. Shalem describes these as recurring patterns of irresponsibility from the left toward the state of Israel, with Ben-Gurion's act being more severe due to his leadership role. He highlights that the Altalena carried five million bullets that were sunk, despite underground ammunition production near Rehovot that supplied four million bullets from 1945 to 1948.
Shalem believes the ammunition could have changed the course of the battle for Jerusalem, possibly preventing the fall of the Jewish Quarter and Gush Etzion, and potentially leading to outcomes similar to those of the Six-Day War, as envisioned by Yigal Alon. He urges the right-wing camp to use the discovery of the Altalena to educate about the serious left-wing actions against Israel over the years. When asked about politicizing a national historical event, Shalem notes that the Altalena has never received national recognition from the left, with left-wing leaders and even the president absent from annual memorials. He emphasizes that 16 fighters died at sea and many more in the war due to lack of ammunition, which was sunk with the ship.
Shalem concludes that the damage and subversion repeatedly come from the same left-wing direction, and while reconciliation is possible, the left must acknowledge its historical wrongdoings, including the Arlozorov affair, the Saison, the Altalena, and the disengagement, instead of projecting division and subversion onto others.
