The French government wanted to have influence in the British-controlled Palestine after the United Nations' 1947 partition of the ancient land to the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs. The French government of Charles de Gaulle donated 5,000 rifles, 250 Bren guns, 5 million bullets, 50 bazookas, and 10 Bren carriers. These arms and ammunitions were carried by the ship Altalena when it left the seaport of Marseille, France on June 11, 1948 and sailed to the port of Tel Aviv, Israel.The first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion, wanted the Irgun to relinquish ownership of all the arms and ammunitions in the ship to the Israel Defense Forces. The Irgun, however, wanted the weapons and the ammos to be of their safekeeping and use. Two negotiations on the ownership and disposal of the weapons were held between the Israel Defense Forces and the Irgun, but the negotiations failed because the Irgun insisted that the weapons and ammunitions which the French donated to them should be at their disposal and ownership.