The Altalena’s Legacy Sinks Deeper Into Israeli Politics

The discovery of the sunken cargo vessel Altalena has reignited a heated debate on Israel’s far right about who can claim the most direct connection to Irgun, a militia responsible for some of the worst atrocities during the 1948 war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have both attempted to outdo each other in associating themselves with the extremist group.

This rivalry is not just about nostalgia; it’s a symptom of a deeper struggle within Israel’s right-wing politics. Both leaders are trying to position themselves as the true heirs of Irgun, despite their vastly different ideologies. The Altalena’s discovery has become a proxy for their internal power struggle, with each side seeking to outmaneuver the other.

The Irgun’s violent legacy cannot be ignored. Their attacks on Palestinian villages during the 1948 war were brutal and systematic. The massacre at Deir Yassin still haunts Israeli-Palestinian relations today. Yet, some Israeli leaders have attempted to downplay their role in these atrocities or blame it solely on other groups.

Sociologist Yehouda Shenhav-Shahrabani argues that the Irgun was not just a fascist organization but also a settler-colonial movement driven by Jewish supremacy. This distinction highlights the inherent problem with Israel’s far right: its willingness to deny or downplay its own history of violence.

The internal struggle between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir has significant implications for Israeli politics. Recent polls suggest that Netanyahu’s Likud party is struggling, and voters on the far right may hold the key to his survival. However, as Tel Aviv University’s Daniel Bar-Tal points out, this rivalry between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir is not relevant to most voters.

What it does highlight is the inability of Israel’s far right to move beyond its own internal conflicts. Instead of focusing on policy or governance, they are consumed by their own power struggles. This only serves to further entrench their extremist views and push Israeli politics deeper into crisis.

Populists like Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir thrive on victimhood and grievance. They need to be seen as the most wronged in order to appeal to their base. But this narrative ignores the real victims of Israel’s far right: the Palestinians who have suffered under their policies.

The discovery of the Altalena may have sparked a new round of infighting within Israel’s far right, but it also serves as a reminder of the country’s troubled past. As Yossi Mekelberg notes, references to the threat of civil war are increasingly common in Israeli politics. This is a worrying trend, especially given the growing violence on the streets.

The Altalena’s legacy continues to haunt Israeli politics. Rather than confronting their own history of violence, Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir are engaged in a futile struggle for dominance. The real losers here are not just Palestinian Israelis but also Israeli democracy itself, which is being pulled further into crisis by this toxic infighting.