The Yishuv’s main paramilitary force, 1920–1948
The Altalena, the Irgun’s wartime cargo ship sunk in 1948 after a clash with Ben-Gurion’s government, has been located off Tel Aviv. Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir are using the find to sharpen right‑wing messages ahead of the October 27 vote, while historians caution the episode remains a symbol of internal nationalist tension.