In Short:
No. The 1967 attack on the USS Liberty was a tragic case of mistaken identity during the fog of war. Ten official U.S. investigations and three Israeli inquiries all reached the same conclusion: it was a blunder, not a conspiracy.
The Accusation That Won’t Die
For decades, conspiracy theorists have claimed that Israel knowingly attacked an American ship during the Six-Day War. The story fits the pattern of “deep state” mistrust that feeds everything from JFK to 9/11 theories — only this one involves America’s closest Middle Eastern ally.
The claim goes like this: on June 8, 1967, Israeli jets and torpedo boats intentionally opened fire on the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy intelligence vessel, to hide supposed Israeli war crimes or secret plans against Syria. But the evidence — now fully declassified — proves otherwise. What actually happened was a chain of human errors, failed communications, and tragic coincidences in the middle of an intense, six-front war.
What Really Happened on June 8, 1967
The USS Liberty was operating off the Sinai coast, sent there by Washington to monitor radio traffic. But unknown to Israel, the ship’s position violated its own Navy’s orders to stay at least 100 miles from the fighting. Multiple urgent messages telling the Liberty to withdraw were delayed by a jammed and outdated communication system.
That same morning, Israeli commanders received reports that their troops near El-Arish were under naval bombardment — supposedly from Egyptian ships. The Liberty, moving slowly offshore, was mis-logged on Israeli radar as a fast-moving warship traveling at 30 knots. In Israeli (and U.S.) naval doctrine at the time, any unidentified vessel traveling that fast near a combat zone was presumed hostile.
Israeli pilots were dispatched to intercept. They reported no flag and no Israeli markings. Believing they were attacking an Egyptian destroyer, they opened fire. Once they spotted the ship’s U.S. hull number — GTR-5 — the attack was called off immediately. Within hours, Israel reported the error to the U.S. Embassy, offered rescue assistance, and issued formal apologies.
Thirty-four American sailors were killed, 171 wounded. It remains one of the worst friendly-fire incidents in modern naval history.
The Investigations: Case Closed
The aftermath produced one of the most exhaustive sets of investigations in U.S. military history.
- The U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry found “a case of mistaken identity.”
- The CIA, NSA, and Joint Chiefs of Staff all reached the same conclusion.
- Congressional hearings found no evidence that Israel knew the Liberty was American.
- Israel’s own inquiries, including one led by Colonel Yeshayahu Yerushalmi, acknowledged errors but found no misconduct or intent.
Even declassified communications back this up. In 2003, the U.S. National Security Agency released intercepted Israeli Air Force radio traffic from the day of the attack. It shows Israeli pilots were told they were pursuing an “Egyptian warship.” Only near the end did one report seeing a U.S. flag — at which point the operation was halted.
Why the “Deliberate Attack” Myth Persists
Despite overwhelming evidence, the Liberty incident has become a magnet for anti-Israel activists, isolationists, and antisemites who use it to claim Israel “controls” or “deceives” the U.S. government. In reality, Israel had zero motive to attack its only ally during a war that threatened its survival.
As Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara told Congress in July 1967, “It was the conclusion of the investigatory body that the attack was not intentional.” He reaffirmed that judgment twenty years later, saying he had “seen nothing since to change [his] mind.”
NSA historian David Hatch summed it up at a 2004 State Department conference: “The available evidence strongly suggested Israel did not know it was attacking a U.S. ship.”
The real story isn’t malice — it’s bureaucracy, chaos, and the tragic cost of wartime confusion. Five urgent U.S. orders warning the Liberty away from the coast arrived only after the attack was over. If the U.S. Navy itself didn’t know exactly where its ship was, it’s unreasonable to believe the Israelis did.
A Hard Lesson in Wartime Fog
Tragic friendly-fire mistakes are sadly common. The same U.S. military that suffered on the Liberty accidentally shot down two of its own Black Hawk helicopters over Iraq in 1994, killing 26 coalition troops. Accidents happen even with the best intentions and technology — especially amid the split-second decisions of war.
Israel immediately paid reparations, totaling nearly $13 million, and the U.S. government officially closed the case in 1987.
The Bottom Line
The USS Liberty attack was not an act of hostility but a heartbreaking accident. Every credible investigation — American and Israeli alike — reached that conclusion. The myth of a “deliberate strike” survives only because it serves those eager to drive a wedge between America and its strongest ally in the Middle East.
Sources
U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry, 1967, CIA Reports, June 13 & 21, 1967, National Security Agency Declassified Transcripts, July 2003, State Department Conference on the Liberty Incident, January 2004, Michael Oren, Six Days of War, Oxford University Press, 2002, Associated Press interview with Adm. Shlomo Erell, June 5, 1977.
