MAHMOOD SANGLAY
“We had none to fight back with, but our will and our wits and with God’s beautiful Hand on us.” These words easily echo the courage of the people of Gaza subjected to the Israeli genocide. Not so. They are the words of Phillip Tourney, an American naval officer aboard the USS Liberty which was attacked by Israel in 1967, off the coast of Gaza.
The attack by Israeli forces occurred on June 8, 1967 during the Six-Day War, resulting in the deaths of 34 Americans and injuries to 171. Far from an isolated tragedy, this incident reveals a calculated betrayal by the US government in collaboration with Israel, exemplifying betrayal, deceit and the suppression of truth—themes that resonate deeply today with the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The attack on the USS Liberty was a deliberate false flag operation and underscores the moral imperative for accountability. With its markings, antennas and American flag clearly visible, the USS Liberty was unmistakably identifiable as American. Despite this, Israeli jets and torpedo boats launched a coordinated attack, bombarding the Liberty with rockets, napalm and torpedoes, leaving it heavily damaged and its crew decimated.
The deliberate nature of the assault is evidenced by Israeli reconnaissance aircraft repeatedly overflying the Liberty for hours before the attack. Survivors, such as 77-year-old Tourney, recount the precision and persistence of Israeli forces, who even machine-gunned life rafts to eliminate survivors. The US government’s immediate response—recalling rescue jets dispatched by the Sixth Fleet—cemented the betrayal. President Lyndon B Johnson said,
‘I don’t care about a few dead sailors. I will not embarrass my ally, Israel.’
Tourney was interviewed in December 2024 by the American conservative Candace Owens. (Click here to read about the ideological transformation of Owens.) This interview lays bare the US government’s role in enabling this atrocity. This interview lays bare the US government’s role in enabling this atrocity. Tourney’s words, in the opening paragraph, speak to the betrayal of the survivors by the US government.
In a striking act of brazen arrogance, Tourney recounts how an IDF soldier aboard a helicopter responded to his desperate gesture of defiance. As Tourney struggled to clear the main deck of survivors, the IDF soldier, with his foot perched nonchalantly on the skid, returned Tourney’s middle finger with his own, punctuating the exchange with a mocking smile before the helicopter took off. This chillingly casual dismissal of the USS Liberty crew’s plight epitomises the sheer indifference of the Israeli forces during the attack.
Similarly, the callousness of the US government is evident in their suppression of the truth to the media and official records. Tourney and his shipmates were silenced, threatened with imprisonment, or worse, if they spoke out about the attack. Despite overwhelming evidence, the attack was falsely attributed to mistaken identity, and the Liberty’s crew was denied recognition as victims of the incident.
Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, decried the lack of a congressional investigation, calling it a ‘national disgrace’ in a memo on the 30th anniversary in 1997 of the attack on the Liberty. As Moorer noted, the US government’s priority was placating Israel rather than honouring the dead and wounded.
According to Moore and others, the attack was not a mistake but a premeditated operation. Israel aimed to prevent the Liberty from intercepting communications about its plans to seize the Golan Heights, a move opposed by the US administration at the time. The Liberty’s unique capabilities in signal intelligence made it a threat to Israeli ambitions.
The systematic destruction of the Liberty’s communication equipment and the targeting of life rafts indicate an intent to eliminate all evidence and survivors. This is further corroborated by testimonies that Israeli forces fired upon the Liberty for over an hour, with no credible explanation for mistaking the ship’s identity.
Haunting parallels with Gaza genocide
The USS Liberty incident and the current genocide in Gaza share haunting parallels. In both cases, the US has prioritised Israeli interests over justice and human rights. Gaza’s ongoing suffering—marked by indiscriminate bombings, blockade-induced starvation and the destruction of civilian infrastructure—reflects the same disregard for human life exhibited in the Liberty attack. Both atrocities expose a pattern of impunity granted to Israel by its most powerful ally.
You may also want to read
One irony is particularly striking. The Liberty crew fought to uphold American values, only to be betrayed by their government. Similarly, Palestinians in Gaza endure relentless oppression while the global community remains largely complicit. This enduring complicity underscores the systemic nature of imperialist and colonial violence.
The USS Liberty attack is not an anomaly but part of a broader pattern of US-enabled imperialist crimes. The Vietnam War’s fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident, the War on Terror imposed on Iraq based on false WMD allegations and covert CIA interventions across the globe all reflect a willingness to manipulate and sacrifice lives for geopolitical gain. As Tourney’s testimony highlights, the Liberty incident is but one example of the US government’s collusion with foreign powers to orchestrate false flag operations.
Accountability is long overdue. The US and Israeli governments must face consequences for their roles in the Liberty attack and ongoing atrocities in Gaza. For the Liberty, this means declassifying all relevant documents, initiating an independent investigation and serving justice to the ship’s crew. For Gaza, it requires ending military aid to Israel, lifting the blockade and pursuing justice for the genocide.
The reluctance to hold Israel accountable stems from entrenched political and economic interests. As Phillip Tourney laments,
‘Congress has been bought and paid for’.
However, growing public awareness and movements for justice offer hope. Citizens must demand transparency and ethical governance to prevent further betrayals and atrocities.
The USS Liberty incident and Gaza’s genocide are stark reminders of the human cost of imperialism and complicity. Both cases reveal a pattern of deceit, treachery and disregard for human life that contradicts the values of justice and truth. By examining these events we see not only the moral failings of those in power but also the imperative for accountability and change.
As survivors like Phillip Tourney continue to speak out, their courage inspires us to confront uncomfortable truths and advocate for justice. The most telling words of Tourney on his survival of the attack on the Liberty are:
‘God saved us from God’s chosen people. That’s what He did. Exactly what He did.’
The lessons of the Liberty and Gaza are powerful reminders of the universal cause for justice, beyond the boundaries of tribe or creed. They demand a commitment to upholding the principles of humanity, accountability and the sanctity of life—values that transcend borders and political ideologies.
