Monument to the vessels Struma and Mefküre in Ashdod

The Munument to the "Struma" and "Mafkura" in Ashdod commemorates the two illegal immigrant ships that the british refused to allow to enter the country.

The "Struma" was sunk in the black sea in February 1942 with 770 illegal immigrants from Romania on board.
Only one of the passengers survivrd.

The "Mafkura" sailed from the Romanian port of Constanza in August 1944.
During it's passage it was damaged by evidently a German submarine and quickly sank.
Of the 310 passengers on board, only 5 survived.

The monument pays tribute to the entire illegal immigration operation to Palestine, and to the bravery of these illegal immigrants, many of whom paid with their lives for their desire to reach the Holy Land.