Congressman calls 1967 Israeli attack on USS Liberty ‘intentional murder,’ urges new probe

Nearly six decades after Israel’s deadly assault on the USS Liberty, demands for a new investigation are gaining momentum as survivors, critics, and a growing number of public figures challenge the long-standing claim that the attack was merely a wartime mistake.

On the 59th anniversary of the June 8, 1967 attack, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie on Monday used a speech on the House floor to urge the United States government to reopen its investigation into Israel’s assault on the USS Liberty.

The USS Liberty, a US Navy intelligence-gathering vessel stationed in international waters off the Sinai Peninsula during the Six-Day War, was attacked by Israeli jets that strafed the ship and dropped napalm before torpedo boats struck the vessel. The attack killed 34 American service members and wounded 171 others.

Survivors attended the event as Massie called for both a congressional resolution honoring the victims and a fresh inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the attack.

“While they’re still alive, they need closure,” Massie said of the survivors, adding, “Let’s give them closure. Let’s have an investigation. Let’s pass a resolution honoring them. It’s long overdue. And then they can have their justice.”

Israel has long maintained that the attack resulted from mistaken identity and later apologized and paid compensation. However, many survivors and a number of former US military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials have disputed that explanation.

Massie highlighted claims that Israeli aircraft had observed the vessel before the attack and argued that the ship was clearly identifiable.

“The visibility was unlimited. The American flag was flying proudly on the USS Liberty,” he told lawmakers, describing the vessel as being “viciously attacked”, stressing, “The Israelis were intent on leaving no survivors.”

Massie also cited several prominent former officials, including former Secretary of State Dean Rusk and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Thomas Hinman Moorer, who questioned the official conclusion that the incident was accidental.

“None of these distinguished men think this was an accident. They think it was intentional murder" by "Israel, either as a false flag operation or because they simply didn’t want anybody observing what they were doing that day,” Massie emphasized.

Questions surrounding the original investigation have persisted for decades, particularly after former Navy official Ward Boston said in sworn testimony that investigators faced pressure to classify the attack as mistaken identity.

The renewed attention comes amid growing criticism of US support for Israel, intensified by Israel’s atrocities in the besieged Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and the broader region.

Survivor of USS Liberty 'incident' speaks up

On June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War, the USS Liberty was attacked and American sailors were left to die.

For many critics, the USS Liberty case symbolizes a relationship in which Israeli actions have often escaped meaningful scrutiny in Washington. While defenders of Israel continue to insist that the attack was a tragic wartime error, opponents argue that the available evidence points strongly toward a deliberate strike and a subsequent effort to suppress uncomfortable facts.

Massie’s remarks drew praise from the USS Liberty Veterans Association, which has long campaigned for accountability and further investigation.

The group described his speech as “a dynomite [sic] telling telling of our story in such a short amount of time” and called it “the story NO other member of Congress will even listen to.”

The speech also received support from other critics of Israel, reflecting a broader effort to revisit one of the most controversial and disputed episodes in the history of US-Israeli relations.

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