Netanyahu records separate statement on Altalena discovery; Ben Gvir attacks: "He didn't want to be photographed with me"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu addressed the discovery of the Altalena, the Irgun ship shelled in 1948, on Monday evening. Netanyahu issued a separate statement, followed by a press conference held by Ministers Ben Gvir and Eliyahu, which began about half an hour behind schedule. Staff for Minister Ben Gvir described Netanyahu's statement as an "embarrassing event."

The Prime Minister stated that the Altalena "will be raised from the depths of the sea":

"Ben Gurion's decision to open fire on the Altalena rained fire on our fighters during the War of Independence. Haganah members on the shore opened heavy fire that claimed the lives of 16 Irgun fighters and three IDF soldiers. Every year I attend this ceremony, and in recent years an absurd thing has happened: I hear calls of incitement against us by political rivals who desecrate this ceremony."

Netanyahu noted that he established the Heritage Division in the Prime Minister's Office in 2009 and ordered renewed searches with a special budget in 2019. "Today, finally, after 78 years, we have located the ship after it sank into the depths," he added.

At his separate press conference, Minister Ben Gvir remarked:

"The Altalena affair left a bleeding wound in Israel's history. They tried to hide this wound and erase the legacy of the fighters. This is not by chance; it is the symbol of the national camp, of its leader, and later, the Prime Minister. My mother was an Irgun fighter—even at 14, she distributed leaflets and was arrested. In every home in Israel, regardless of origin or community, the lesson must be clear: there will never be a civil war. This is the lesson of the Altalena."

Likud Minister Haim Katz, who attended Ben Gvir's conference, credited the success to the dedication of Roni Sadeh and the Heritage Ministry's allocated budget.

In an unusual maneuver, the Otzma Yehudit party effectively took control of the state project, costing one million shekels, with Ben Gvir rushing to publish a video claiming credit for the discovery. The Prime Minister's Office was surprised by the announcement, despite being aware of the search efforts, while the Defense Minister's office reportedly knew nothing of the development.

The ship was found 20 kilometers off the coast of Israel at a depth of 503 meters. The Altalena had sailed from France carrying approximately 930 immigrants and military equipment. The conflict arose when Irgun commander Menachem Begin demanded that some weapons be transferred to Irgun battalions in Jerusalem, leading Ben Gurion to order the ship shelled.

Shlomo Nakdimon, a journalist and author of a book on the Altalena, expressed skepticism regarding the ship's condition: "Ben Gvir and Eliyahu announced they discovered the Altalena in its entirety. But I saw it when it sank, and it disappeared. The lower part was submerged, and the upper part was dismantled and burned. The Irgun archives recorded the exact location of that section."