Israel Mistakenly Attacks US Warship, Killing 34 Sailors

The US Navy intelligence vessel USS Liberty was sailing in international waters near the Sinai Peninsula on the morning of 8 June 1967. The situation initially appeared normal until alarms suddenly blared, signalling an approaching threat. Captain William L. McGonagle of the USS Liberty rushed to the radar room after reports of suspicious movements around the ship. Radar screens showed several fighter jets approaching at close range. McGonagle immediately attempted to report the situation to the US Sixth Fleet. However, before further communication could occur, the jets dove and opened fire on the vessel. The sudden attack killed nine crew members and injured dozens more. McGonagle himself was wounded in the arm and thigh while attempting to manage the situation. Believing the attack was by Egyptian forces, the USS Liberty crew returned fire. A firefight erupted at sea. Shortly after, torpedo boats approached and launched further attacks, worsening the ship’s condition. More torpedo boats soon joined the assault. One cannonball struck the hull, followed by five torpedoes. One caused a massive explosion. The explosion killed 25 crew members, bringing the total fatalities to 34. According to William D. Gerhard’s 2009 book Attack on the USS Liberty, most survivors suffered severe burns from the blast. The Liberty was on the brink of destruction and nearly sank. Amid the chaos, the attackers hesitated. Initially convinced they had targeted an enemy vessel, they noticed something amiss as the ship offered little resistance. A few minutes later, when a US Liberty lifeboat was approached, the American naval insignia was clearly visible. That was when the grave mistake was revealed. The vessel they had attacked was indeed a US Navy ship, and the assault had been carried out by their close ally, Israel. Israel’s Mistaken Target In James M. Ennes’s 1987 book Assault on the Liberty, tensions in the Arab world were rising during the Six-Day War between Israel and Arab nations. The US was not directly involved but deemed intelligence gathering critical. The Pentagon dispatched the USS Liberty as an intelligence vessel. The mission was conducted covertly: the ship sailed alone without escort, without clear identification, and without flying the US flag. Its presence was not disclosed to any other nation, including Israel. The decision to conceal the ship’s presence would later prove catastrophic. In the war’s early days, Israel had grown suspicious of unidentified foreign vessels in international waters. With international waters effectively closed, any unmarked ship drew military attention. The Israeli military was unaware the vessel was part of a US operation. Suspicion intensified on 8 June 1967 when Israel received reports of an attack on its forces. They suspected the attack originated from a warship. Seeing the previously suspected foreign vessel, Israeli forces assumed it belonged to Egypt, their wartime enemy. The attack proceeded, unaware the vessel was actually a US Navy ship. Upon learning of the USS Liberty attack, Washington reacted strongly. The US government initially suspected Russian involvement, but confirmation that it was carried out by an ally sparked outrage. Israel subsequently acknowledged the error and offered $12 million in compensation to victims’ families. Though President Lyndon B. Johnson accepted the apology and compensation, the incident left deep scars. Many, including victims’ families, felt the US government had been too lenient towards Israel. The USS Liberty tragedy was the first attack on a US military vessel since World War II. In their view, if another nation had committed such an attack, America’s response would likely have been far harsher—possibly even military action.