On any given day, the waters off Tel Aviv’s beaches can be seen speckled with ships and boats of shapes and sizes. On Sunday, one such vessel took a special voyage to mark 76 years since the sinking of the infamous ship, the Altalena.
The event was initiated by the National Vision - Center for Zionist Leadership organization and the Etzel Veterans Association and focused on the unity of the people of Israel. Dozens of people participated in the event, which was attended by the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, Likud MK Ariel Kallner, Chairman of National Vision Dor Harlap, CEO of National Vision Reut Rosenfeld, Chairman of the Etzel Veterans Association Shlomo Goldhor, Etzel historian Joseph Kister, among others.
During the voyage, Etzel historian Mr. Yosef Kister recounted the story of the Altalena ship and the background to its sinking. When the ship reached the marker point where the Altalena sank, opposite the memorial monument, a wreath-laying ceremony was held in memory of the ship's victims, and the participants sang the Etzel anthem.
The history of the ship
"On this day, in this place, and at this time, we must fulfil the legacy of Menachem Begin, who showed tremendous leadership and declared here on the Altalena: ‘Civil war, never again,’" said World Zionist Organization chief Hagoel at the event.
When they were fired upon, he could have ordered return fire, but he understood that if he did, it would lead to civil war. This is Menachem Begin's legacy to us even today - we see the polarization among the people - the people of Israel are an eternal people, but even eternity needs work. We must invest in this unity. Unity is not uniformity; we can think differently from each other, but we must respect one another. Without the people of Israel, there is no State of Israel - this is the command of the hour and our mission now."
The Altalena was a ship carrying arms and fighters for the Irgun, one of several Jewish paramilitary groups during the British Mandate era and the 1948 War of Independence. The ship was intercepted by the newly formed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) off the coast of Tel Aviv. Tensions escalated between the Irgun, led by Begin, and the Israeli government, led by David Ben-Gurion, over the control and distribution of the weapons on board.
On June 22, 1948, the confrontation culminated in the IDF shelling the ship, causing it to catch fire. Begin famously gave the order to not return fire on the IDF, for fear of sparking a civil war. The incident resulted in the deaths of 16 Irgun members and three IDF soldiers, highlighting the deep internal divisions within the nascent Israeli state but also marking a pivotal moment in the consolidation of a single national army under state control.
MK Kallner, one of the founders of the National Vision organization, told those gathered, "There is a great generation here that continues the generation of '48. We have reached the place of the Altalena - a place where there was a civil war from one side. One side fired on the Altalena, and the other side, with Begin, said there would be no civil war. We continue to carry this flag - civil war, never again! Even if there are those who seek, in times of war, to divide and separate us - we will not let the winds of division, incitement, and defeatism enter between us! We will continue to lead the people of Israel to victory together as one people!"
"We have had the privilege of holding this voyage in memory of the Altalena ship for the eleventh consecutive year,” Reut Rosenfeld, CEO of National Vision added. “This year, the memory of the Altalena has special significance. It is evident that the winds of division and incitement are blowing among the people, winds that want to rock the boat we are on. But for this reason, we embark on this voyage, to remember and not forget the Altalena incident and to ensure that there is never a civil war."