Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Will The 'Altalena' Arise?

First, we were informed that the canon that sunk it might be on display at an IDF Museum.

Then Hillel Dalesky who actually fired the canon shots that set the ship's decks soaked with machine oil alight died this past week.

Now we have the real thing:

SS Altalena may finally reach shore
Israel may extract remnants of SS Altalena, which was sunk in 1948 by IDF while carrying Jewish passengers, display them at museum; cost of project estimated to reach millions

The legendary SS Altalena might soon reach shore: An initiative is being discussed by the Knesset to salvage and display the remnants of the ship, which was sunk by the IDF in 1948 while carrying Jewish passengers, Yedioth Ahronoth revealed Wednesday.

Heading the initiative is Chairman of the House Committee Yariv Levin, whose great uncle was the SS Altalena's military commander, Elyahu Lankin. A few months ago Levin presented the issue to senior officials at the Prime Minister's Office, who asked him to come up with a detailed plan and to coordinate it with the Navy.

Levin plans to submit the plan for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approval in the coming days. According to senior Likud officials, Netanyahu is likely to sign off on the initiative. It is unclear how the project, which is estimated to cost millions of dollars, will be funded.

"We must feel a personal commitment to the founding generation in general and for the Altalena specifically, and bring the ship to shore," Levin said. "We are considering different possibilities , but the idea is that if the ship is extricated, it will be displayed in one of the museums, like the IZL Museum or the Menachem Begin Heritage Center."

(Kippa tip: SH)

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