Gun-running ship located 78 years after being sunk by Israeli military

Israel has announced the recovery of the wreckage of the Altalena, an arms-smuggling ship that was sunk by the Israeli military shortly after the state's founding in 1948. The incident, known as the Altalena Affair, exposed profound divisions within the young nation and remains a seminal event in its history.

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At 12:30 am, at a depth of 503 meters, west of the coast of Israel, the Altalena ship was located intact, 78 years after that painful and seminal event that shook the young State of Israel.

The Altalena was carrying weapons for the Irgun, a militant Zionist organization, when it arrived off the coast of Tel Aviv. In a decisive move to assert authority and prevent the rise of rival paramilitary forces, Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, ordered the military to open fire on the vessel. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of 16 Irgun members and three Israeli soldiers.

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There will be no civil war with the enemy at our gates.

Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu announced the discovery of the ship's intact wreckage at a depth of 503 meters, west of the Israeli coast, 78 years after the event. He described the Altalena as representing "the story of a deep national wound, and the story of the historical responsibility that Menachem Begin showed when he prevented a civil war." Begin, the Irgun chief at the time, famously urged his fighters to surrender to avoid further conflict.

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A country that is not afraid to touch on the painful chapters of its history is a stronger country.

The recovery of the Altalena wreckage, which has been a long-sought objective for years, is viewed by some as a moment for national reflection. The Ben Gurion Heritage Institute stated that finding the ship is "an opportunity to remind why statism is" important, suggesting it's a chance to learn from past divisions rather than reignite them. The incident marked a critical step in consolidating the authority of the state and integrating paramilitary groups into the Israel Defense Forces.

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Finding Altalena is not an opportunity to renew old disputes. It is an opportunity to remind why statism is