In a historic move, Israel will transfer the cannon that shelled the Altalena to the Begin Heritage Center—honoring Menachem Begin’s restraint that prevented civil war.
Seventy-seven years after the fateful Altalena Affair, the cannon that fired on the immigrant ship carrying Holocaust survivors and Irgun fighters will finally find a new home at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.
At the request of Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and six other government ministers, Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the transfer of the legendary weapon—known in Israel as the “Sacred Cannon.”
Until now, the cannon was displayed at the Command and Staff College in Camp Glilot, where it bore Begin’s iconic words: “Anything but civil war.”
The Altalena, sailing from France in 1948, carried 930 Jewish immigrants, many Holocaust survivors, and a stockpile of weapons. A dispute between Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and Irgun leader Menachem Begin over distribution of the arms led to the tragic IDF shelling of the ship. Despite the barrage, Begin gave a historic order to his fighters: “Do not return fire.” His restraint, many historians agree, prevented Israel’s young state from descending into civil war.
Minister Eliyahu hailed Katz’s decision as a long-overdue correction:
“This is not just a physical relocation—it is the restoration of historical truth. For years, the cannon was portrayed as a symbol of prudence, but in truth, peace was preserved not because of the firing, but despite it. Civil war was avoided thanks to Begin’s decision and the Irgun’s restraint.”
He added:
“From now on, every visitor to the Begin Heritage Center will learn that true heroism is not in the power of fire, but in the power of restraint. True leadership is not victory over a brother, but concession that saves a nation.”
The move reframes one of Israel’s most painful historic moments—elevating Begin’s restraint as the real shield against civil war and cementing his legacy as a statesman who placed unity above vengeance.
