Altalena was not just a tragedy. It is a warning

Nadav Eyal analyzes the current political use of the Altalena affair by Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, presenting the true historical lesson: the need for a state monopoly on the use of force, while warning of the situation in Judea and Samaria where armed Jews operate outside the law.

In his column, Nadav Eyal analyzes the current political use of the Altalena affair. He describes the media circus between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who have turned the sunken ship into a cheap campaign tool. Eyal refutes the renewed narrative and presents the historical facts: the Irgun fired first on the IDF, refused to surrender, and declared it did not recognize the government. The real lesson, he says, is the principle of sovereignty and the monopoly on violence. He directly links this to the current situation in Judea and Samaria, where armed Jews commit acts of terrorism with impunity, with support from parts of the government, and do not accept the state's authority. Eyal warns that the loss of the monopoly on violence in the territory is a fundamental sovereign component, and that, like the Altalena, it is easy to see on the horizon the burning fuse that will ignite everything.

Altalena was not just a tragedy. It is a warning