The USS Liberty – Why antisemites keep returning to a 6-decade-old military incident

The recent speech by U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) calling on the government to launch yet another investigation of the Israeli strike on the USS Liberty during the Six-Day War, has brought attention back to one of the oldest conspiracy theories involving the Jewish state. 

“It’s my great honor, maybe one of the biggest honors of my lifetime, to stand here on the floor and do something that’s 59 years overdue, to recognize the survivors and those who gave their lives on the USS Liberty,” Rep. Massie said on Monday. “Fifty-nine years ago today, when they were viciously attacked by IDF jets and also after that by torpedo boats.” 

The attack on the USS Liberty took place on June 8, 1967, the third day of the Six-Day War. 

The USS Liberty, a noncombat signals intelligence ship, was assigned to collect and monitor electronic communications off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The vessel had several large antennas and specialized equipment for collecting signals intelligence (SIGINT) and was carrying a mixed crew of Navy personnel, U.S. Marines and National Security Agency technicians. 

According to U.S. records, the ship arrived in its position north of the Sinai Peninsula on June 7, during active hostilities between Israel and Egypt. On June 8, after a couple of Israeli planes completed a fly-by of the vessel, it came under attack by Israeli forces, first being shot by planes and was then struck by Israeli torpedo boats. 

The attack resulted in the deaths of 34 crew members and injured 171 others. 

Shortly after firing on the Liberty, the Israeli torpedo boats seem to have realized the mistake, and offered to assist the stricken vessel, however, the captain of the Liberty refused the aid. 

The Israeli government later apologized for the attack, paying damages to the U.S. government and to the families of the victims. 

The attack on the Liberty has become one of the most investigated friendly fire incidents in the past 100 years, with at least 10 U.S. investigations and three more by Israel. Each investigation produced a report concluding that the attack was a mistake, not a deliberate attempt to sink an American ship.

Several of the reports said the attack was likely the result of  a phenomenon known in the military as the “fog of war,” when critical information does not reach the units on the frontlines that are making tactical decisions. 

However, in the decades since, the story of the USS Liberty has become a rallying point for critics and anti-Israel pundits.

Anti-Israel activists like Tucker Carlson have championed the idea that the attack was a false flag operation by Israel, while antisemitic pundits like Nick Fuentes have claimed that Israel was trying to keep its upcoming troop movements a secret. 

Massie reflected some of these views in his remarks. 

Referring to several survivors who have sharply criticized the government investigations, Massie said, “None of these distinguished men think this was an accident.” 

“They think it was intentional murder by the country of Israel, either as a false flag operation or because they simply didn’t want anybody observing what they were doing that day,” he added, reiterating common conspiracy theories about the event. 

The USS Liberty Veterans Association (LVA), an organization ostensibly set up to honor the memories of those killed and wounded in the attacks, praised Massie’s remarks in a post on 𝕏, saying it was a story that “NO other member of Congress will even listen to.” 

However, LVA has recently come under scrutiny for connections to far-right antisemitic figures, such as Matt Wakulik and Stew Peters. Both men have expressed neo-Nazi views and have suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump should be targeted because of his support for Israel.

Even Phillip Tourney, president of the LVA and a USS Liberty survivor, has appeared on far-right platforms. He has often posted openly antisemitic content to his social media platforms, claiming that Jews control global affairs, manipulate Trump, and buy the loyalty of members of Congress.

In addition, LVA’s media manager, John Dixon, previously hosted a podcast, which openly repeated neo-Nazi and antisemitic content. 

In 2025, LVA invited Peters to speak at its June reunion. Peters has been documented spreading multiple antisemitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories, and has even referred to the “Final Solution,” the Nazi’s term for their plan to exterminate the global Jewish population, on his broadcasts. The group withdrew the invitation only after the hotel hosting the event barred Peters from its premises.

The LVA’s ties to openly antisemitic individuals raise questions about the organization's intentions in continually revisiting the attack and calling for further investigations.

Conspiracy theories continue to gain traction partly because LVA members regularly discuss the incident on podcasts and online platforms, and partly because the redacted government reports omit key details about the attack.

One report documents that crew members began destroying some of the ships' equipment and logs, likely to prevent the SIGINT material from falling into the hands of another country. As a result, however, the ships own communication logs were not preserved. 

Another U.S. report claims that Israeli pilots had only clearly identified the American flag after firing upon the USS Liberty. Israeli reports found that requests for clarification about the ship’s markings were not relayed to higher authorities who might have recognized them as American.

The ship allegedly did not receive instructions to remain 100 nautical miles from the coast of the active war zone until after the Israeli attack.

U.S. and Israeli reports found several gross errors committed by both sides in the attack, but found no evidence of willful intent to sink an American vessel. 

But intent is central to how the USS Liberty story is framed on platforms promoting anti-Israel and antisemitic viewpoints.

With that intent, Israel is portrayed as sneaky, conniving, and acting in bad faith, in contrast to supporters who describe Israel as an outstanding U.S. military partner.

Without such intent, the Liberty incident becomes one among dozens of friendly-fire cases involving U.S. forces and allies in the decades before and after.