U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., correctly stated in a June 6, 2026, speech that Israel used napalm against the USS Liberty during a 1967 attack. Both Israel and the United States have concluded through their reviews that the attack was accidental, though this conclusion remains a subject of legitimate debate.
Claims circulating online suggested Massie “confirmed” the use of napalm, implying it was not previously known. However, the use of napalm by Israel during the attack has been publicly acknowledged for decades. News reports from the 1980s, as well as official documents from both the U.S. and Israel, confirm the use of napalm.
The attack on the USS Liberty, an American naval ship, occurred on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The assault resulted in the deaths of 34 American personnel and wounded 170 others. Israel offered an apology and compensation for the incident, paying millions to the U.S. government for damages and victims’ families. Despite official findings, survivors and some U.S. officials maintain the attack was deliberate and have called for further investigation.
During his speech, Massie detailed the attack, stating, “They even dropped napalm on the bridge of the ship.” He urged Congress to pass a resolution honoring the survivors and to investigate the circumstances of the attack.
The use of napalm has been a documented aspect of the USS Liberty incident. Reports from sources such as the USS Liberty Veterans Association and historical accounts from the U.S. Navy and the Israeli military confirm that napalm was deployed. For instance, a 2017 historical account from the Naval History and Heritage Command noted that Israeli fighter jets dropped napalm canisters. A 1982 report from the Israeli military’s history department also acknowledged that one napalm bomb struck the ship. Numerous news and academic articles over the years have also referenced the use of napalm in the attack.
Massie is not the first member of Congress to bring attention to the incident and the use of napalm. In 2004, the late U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., also highlighted findings on the House floor that included the use of napalm canisters on the Liberty’s bridge.
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