Monroe Fein
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Monroe Fein, was U.S. Naval Officer and decorated veteran of the Pacific campaign; later notable as the captain of the ill-fated Altalena
on behalf of the Irgun
at the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
.
from its departure point in Port-de-Bouc
, France
to the newly formed state of Israel
in June 1948. Upon arriving in Israel the ship was shelled causing incredible controversy and antagonism between Israeli military and paramilitary groups. After the shelling of the Altalena many members of the Irgun were arrested, including Captain Fein. The shelling, controversy and political fallout that came from the fight are collectively known as the Altalena Affair.
Altalena Affair
The Altalena Affair was a violent confrontation that took place in June 1948 between the newly formed Israel Defense Forces and the Irgun, a right-wing Jewish paramilitary group...
on behalf of the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
at the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
Role in the Altalena Affair
Fein captained the Altalena on behalf of the IrgunIrgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
from its departure point in Port-de-Bouc
Port-de-Bouc
Port-de-Bouc is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to the newly formed state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in June 1948. Upon arriving in Israel the ship was shelled causing incredible controversy and antagonism between Israeli military and paramilitary groups. After the shelling of the Altalena many members of the Irgun were arrested, including Captain Fein. The shelling, controversy and political fallout that came from the fight are collectively known as the Altalena Affair.