Israel locates Altalena ship after 78 years at bottom of Mediterranean Sea

Key Points:

• The wreck of the Altalena, a ship central to a major 1948 conflict between the newly established IDF and the Irgun, was located intact 78 years after sinking, at a depth of 503 meters off Israel's coast.
• The Altalena carried immigrants, Irgun fighters, and weapons intended for the War of Independence, but its arrival sparked violent clashes over control of the arms between the Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, and the Israeli government under David Ben-Gurion.
• The dispute culminated in fighting at Kfar Vitkin and off Tel Aviv, resulting in 19 deaths and the eventual sinking of the ship after IDF artillery fire, reinforcing the principle of a single national military under government authority.
• The Altalena affair remains a defining and painful episode in Israeli history, symbolizing the struggle to unify armed forces post-independence and the political rivalry between Labor Zionists and Revisionists.
• National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed the discovery as a "defining moment," emphasizing its importance for historical truth, honoring the fallen, and fostering national unity.