A Sunken Ship: Manipulating Narratives
Events in the past week support claims things will deteriorate until the elections.
Altalena wreckage from 1948 found at sea early in the week. After reading the news, I told a friend. She responded with indifferent disbelief, surprised its location was unknown. But Israelis aren’t indifferent to the Altalena, carrying arms, resulting in Jews killing Jews as a militant pre-state organization faced transitioning into the IDF. Casualties involved 16 members of the right-wing Irgun organization and 3 IDF soldiers. In 2012, the sunken ship was reportedly found offshore. Altalena narratives are fascinatingly inconsistent. In 2026, taking credit for the find is the point.
The ministry which led the mission finding the ship is led by a minister from Ben-Gvir’s party. Netanyahu rushed to announce the find, vying for the political capital before Ben-Gvir.
Media interviews ensued, with an Altalena survivor, historians, politicians, common versions blaming Ben Gurion, other versions blaming Begin, an interpretation declaring Rabin the morally driven actor preventing greater violence and another accusing him of quite the opposite.
In 2026, media glorifying a case of violent clashes between Jewish factions in the State of Israel comes with subtexts for the taking.
While processing, another headline grabbed me. Leadership in Lebanon worried by Israeli strikes, knowing Netanyahu needs a war before Israel’s elections, even at the expense of relations with opposition to Hezbollah. Not only leadership in Lebanon is worried.
In another item this week, Gershon Baskin argued Palestinian elections must not be cancelled. For the first time in 20 years, one would expect the Palestinian people and their supporters to insist elections take place. In 2026, technologies are employed for election-fixing everywhere, for enabling and circumventing, but if accepted as an excuse for cancelling elections, one wonders what else Palestinian society will forfeit.
But Israelis are privileged to be preoccupied with a shortage of over 30,000 teachers opening the school year on September 1, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data. Teachers’ union sources indicate 5,000. While considering implications for the number of children in a classroom, comparing the quality of Israeli teachers to OECD standards is not comforting. Looks like “people of the book” is a misnomer. Rest assured, Minister of Education Yoav Kisch dismisses concerns as fake news generated by the opposition.
Speaking of education, MK Tzvi Sukkot, former Hilltop Youth, member of Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, heads the Knesset Education Committee. Holding a high school baccalaureate certificate is apparently inconsequential to the role. As inconsequential as serving as an educational role model.
This past week, Sukkot manipulated the IDF into accompanying him to a Palestinian town where he proceeded to take a sledgehammer, attempting to destroy a monument to Palestinian martyrs, or terrorists – the terminology inconsequential to the point. The point: wasting IDF time and resources. Allowing provocation when security efforts are bent on containing terrorism (at least Palestinian terrorism).
Should align with pursuing Board of Peace proposals for Gaza. Speaking to UN Security Council, the Board’s High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, while skeptical about Hamas intentions, criticized Israeli strikes under circumstances not qualifying as immediate threats. Israeli reporter in DC, Barak Ravid shared Mladenov’s remarks on social media. Israeli media failed to spread that criticism. Bibi’s interest in war seeps through, again. War could postpone elections, reinforce his image as the great defender – as he would frame it. Lest the opposition remind us – and as if we could forget –the massacre of October 7 occurred on Bibi’s watch.
The public sensitized to the time of year, October 7 approaching. Elections on October 27. A month of holidays commencing with Rosh Hashana on September 11, 2026.
Reassuring media reports GSS containing Palestinian terrorism, hence a decline in terrorist incidents. However, Jewish terrorism in the West Bank is distressing – not only to my ethical code. IDF Chief of Staff Zamir is increasing forces in place for the holiday season, to avert threats of variations on October 7. Escalating Jewish terrorism will be contained too. Headline material.
Recent events indicate the contrary: nonviolent Jews providing protective presence for Palestinians forced by IDF soldiers to leave sites where extremist settlers remain, to attack Palestinians and their property.
In 2026 the Altalena reminds us, civil war was close to the underpinnings of the IDF in 1948, and in 2026. Certain politicians amplify the message. After the elections, we must write a new story for the surfacing of a sunken ship.
