United States Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky has introduced a resolution today honoring the crew of the USS Liberty, which was attacked by Israel 59 years ago in international waters.
The resolution condemns the “unprovoked” Israeli assault that killed 34 American service members and wounded 174 others. It also calls on the president to declassify all records related to the June 8, 1967, attack.
According to historical accounts, the Liberty was patrolling the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula in international waters when it was struck by Israeli aircraft after more than six hours of surveillance. The ship, which flew an American flag and had prominent U.S. Navy markings, was attacked relentlessly for nearly 25 minutes.
Despite clear identification as American vessel, Israeli jets targeted the ship with precision strikes that left 34 crew members dead and 171 injured. Captain William McGonagle received the Medal of Honor for heroism in secret; his citation references actions during the Vietnam War.
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Thomas Moorer described the incident as “the most disgraceful act I witnessed in my entire military career,” noting weather conditions were clear with unlimited visibility and that the Liberty was one of the most easily identifiable ships afloat. Israeli forces also attempted to jam communications and machine-gunned lifeboats attempting to rescue the wounded.
In 2004, Ward Boston, chief counsel for the Navy’s investigation into the attack, revealed that President Lyndon B. Johnson and Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara ordered a cover-up of the incident, forcing him to remain silent for years as a career Navy officer.
Massie, who met with survivors on the 59th anniversary, has repeatedly called for an investigation into the Israeli assault and the declassification of records. His resolution specifically demands that all documents, communications, intelligence assessments, and operational reports related to the incident be made public.
The resolution states: “The lives and safety of United States citizens and servicemembers shall be held paramount in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy” and condemns Israel for its unprovoked attack.
Critics of the resolution have labeled inquiries into the Liberty incident as “antisemitic.”
