A new memorial monument for the victims of the 1948 Altalena cargo ship incident was set to be unveiled at the Nahalat Yitzhak cemetery in Tel Aviv Thursday. Sixteen members of the Irgun were killed in the Altalena Affair, in which the paramilitary group clashed with the newly created Israel Defense Forces. Survivors of the incident are expected to attend the unveiling ceremony, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkin, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and Tel Aviv Chevra Kadisha (burial society) Director General Avraham Manela. The new monument will include a metal-plated cement model of the Altalena ship, in which part of it appears to be sinking into the water. On the side of the boat appears a quote from then-Irgun leader Menachem Begin, who was aboard the ship at the time: "We can never have a civil war." The monument was designed to appear rusted, symbolizing the remnants of the boat. It is about 23 feet long and 6.6 feet tall, and it will be lit up at night.
