Altalena was the nom de plume of Ze’ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, soldier, writer, politician of the Zionist movement and spiritual progenitor of Menachem Begin and his right wing successors. Active from World War 1 until his death in 1940, he was the fons et origo of militant Zionism and a source of inspiration for Irgun Tsvai Leumi (abbreviated to Etzel), the terrorist organisation which rocked the British  Mandate with its ruthless policy of bombing and retaliation against British soldiers vainly attempting to maintain a balance of power between Jews and Arabs in strife-torn Palestine.

The name ‘Altalena’ was taken by an Irgun ship commissioned to bring arms into Palestine in order to bolster a Jewish army formed outside the ranks of the main Jewish defence force, Haganah.  A bitter clash ensued between David Ben Gurion, who feared an Irgun attempt to seize power in the new Jewish state and Menachem Begin, who fought to retain the independence of Irgun in the ongoing battle against the Arabs.

Diplomacy failed to achieve rapprochement, gunfire was exchanged and in the........

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