Asta Bidspirit | Photograph of the sailors of

Photograph of the sailors of the Bat Galim ship before they began their famous voyage - The Bat Galim was an Israeli cargo ship that attempted to pass through the Suez Canal in 1954, at a time when Egypt was banning the passage of Israeli vessels. On September 28, 1954, the ship set out on a demonstration voyage under the Israeli flag, to challenge Egypt's naval blockade and exercise its international right of navigation. When it reached the Port Said area, it was captured by the Egyptian Navy. The crew—10 Israeli sailors—were arrested and imprisoned in Egypt. The Egyptians accused the sailors of ”violating the laws of navigation.” The crew was held captive for about five months. They were only released in February 1955, following international pressure. The ship itself was seized by the Egyptians. This incident is considered one of the tense preludes that later led to the escalation of the maritime conflict between Israel and Egypt.