Have you ever heard of it? Israel was so mad that even American soldiers dared to attack it. It was in 1967 that an event occurred that shocked the world, known as the "Liberty" incident.
On that day, the Israeli army suddenly attacked an American warship - the USS Liberty. The warship was full of American soldiers, who never imagined that they would be attacked in such a way on their warship.
The attack came suddenly and violently, and the American soldiers were taken by surprise. In the chaos, 34 U.S. soldiers were killed and 164 wounded. The wounded American soldiers lay in agony in the cabin, blood staining the entire cabin.
When the news reached the United States, the whole country was shocked. People cannot believe that their own compatriots will be attacked so fiercely on the territory of their allies. Anger and grief spread among the American people, who demanded that the government take action to bring justice to the dead soldiers.
Israel, however, is only willing to pay $13 million in compensation. They insisted that the attack was not deliberate, but was the result of some misunderstandings and miscommunication.
Americans, of course, are not satisfied with such explanations. They want to take revenge on Israel and make them pay for their actions. However, it was at this time that the President of the United States stood up and spoke.
He said, "Forget it, don't embarrass Israel. "What the hell is going on?
In 1945, a freighter named the Simmons Victory was launched for the first time, and its figure became clear to the cheers of the shipyard workers. The ship carries a lot of anticipation, and with its large body and solid structure, it heralds endless journeys at sea in the future. However, no one expected that the ship's fate would be so twisted and turned, and it would eventually become a spy ship lurking in the deep sea.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, it is 1963. At this time, the Simmons Victory had been weathered for many years, but it was still as strong as ever. This year, the US Navy saw its potential and decided to buy it. After buying it, the U.S. Navy began a large-scale refit of it, giving it a new coat and giving it a new name - "Freedom". Although it is ostensibly claimed to be a "technical research ship", in reality, it is a mysterious spy ship responsible for collecting various kinds of intelligence in the deep sea.
During the refit, U.S. Navy engineers equipped the USS Liberty with a variety of advanced equipment, allowing it to quietly gather a large amount of intelligence without alerting the target. These include high-sensitivity radars, bugs, and advanced computers capable of deciphering enemy communication codes. In addition, the ship is staffed with highly trained agents who are fluent in various languages, skilled in camouflage and stealth, and provide strong support for the Liberty's intelligence-gathering efforts.
In February 1965, the U.S. National Security Agency officially took over the USS Liberty as its own intelligence-gathering vessel. Since then, the Liberty has begun its lurking career in the deep sea. It shuttles through various seas, collects intelligence from all over the world, and provides an important reference for the US government's decision-making.
"Freedom" is inconspicuous from the outside, with a displacement of 7,700 tons, a length of 139 meters, a width of 19 meters, and a speed of 17.5 knots, which is not a large specification among warships. However, its importance cannot be underestimated, as there are 358 elite officers and men on board, each of whom has an important mission.
The armament of the "Liberty" was relatively simple, with only 4 12.7 mm machine guns, probably because its main task did not require strong fire support. The rest of the ship is densely covered with various antennas, which are like sensitive ears and eyes, always capturing the intelligence information around them.
During the Third Middle East War, the USS Liberty was sent by the United States to the Middle East on an important intelligence-gathering mission. The United States was originally a little worried about this mission, because the situation in the Middle East was tense, war was imminent, and it was worried that the "Freedom" would be dangerous if it got too close. As a result, they ordered the "Freedom" to withdraw from the current waters five times to ensure the safety of ships and personnel.
Strangely, however, none of these five orders were received by the Liberty.
On June 8, 1967, the dawn had just shone on the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, and the Liberty was floating alone on the vast ocean. It is just 12 miles from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where fighting has been raging for some time and the entire region is shrouded in tension and unease.
On board the "Liberty", the American officers and men were busy carrying out their tasks. Although they are in the vicinity of a war zone, most are not overly concerned about security. In their view, as American ships, they enjoyed a special kind of protection, and both warring sides might be afraid to attack them lightly.
While busy collecting all kinds of intelligence, the officers and men were looking forward to the early end of their mission, returning to China to reunite with their families, and enjoying a rare vacation time. Many of them haven't been home for a long time, and homesickness is flooding in.
However, just as they were immersed in their thoughts, an imperceptible danger was looming. At about 13:58, the calm sea suddenly became rough, and a sudden disaster was about to befall the innocent warship "Liberty".
Like two lightning bolts in the sky, the two "Mirage 3" fighters suddenly emerged from the clouds and dived downwards at an astonishing speed. Their wings shimmered in the sunlight like two sharp swords aimed at the heart of the Liberty.
Before the officers and men of the "Liberty" could react, the shells of the fighters fell like raindrops. The explosions were deafening. For a moment, a huge column of water rose on the surface of the sea, and the smoke was so thick that it was impossible to see the scene ahead.
The American soldiers were caught off guard by the sudden attack, and they fled in all directions in terror, screaming one after another. Some people were already covered in blood, while others were disoriented in a panic and at a loss.
At this critical moment, the commander of the "Liberty" reacted quickly, and he immediately sent a distress signal to the nearby American troops, asking for support. At the same time, in order to identify themselves and avoid accidental injury, they raised an extra-large American flag, and the brightly colored Star-Spangled Banner fluttered in the wind, as if to announce their existence to the world.
However, the tragedy did not stop there. Suddenly, the screeching of fighter engines resounded in the sky, and two brand-new fighters joined the fray. These two planes are no ordinary fighters, they carry a special weapon - napalm. This bomb is different from conventional explosive weapons, its explosive effect is not to destroy the target by the force of the explosion, but by spraying hot napalm, once it touches the target, the gasoline will quickly solidify and burn, forming a fire that is difficult to extinguish.
The Liberty was already scarred, like a warrior who had been through countless storms, but now it had to face an even more brutal test. The napalm roared like an angry dragon at the Liberty. In an instant, the flames raged, and the Liberty was engulfed in flames.
However, more horrific attacks are yet to come. While the USS Liberty was struggling in the sea of fire, in the shadows of the ocean floor, three torpedoes were quietly coming at it. These torpedoes are like beasts lurking underwater, and once they are discovered, they will not hesitate to pounce on them and deliver a fatal blow. Although only one of the three torpedoes managed to hit the Liberty, the blow was enough to cause irreparable damage to the Liberty. One side of the hull began to tilt, like a mountain about to collapse.
At this time, the Liberty was half icy water, half raging flames. The flames intertwine with the sea, creating a picture that is both spectacular and tragic. It was at this time that reinforcements from the U.S. Army finally arrived at the scene. However, by the time they arrived, the brutal attackers had long since fled, leaving the USS Liberty in devastation and a chaotic battlefield.
The artillery fire lasted only a few tens of minutes, but in this short period of time, the Liberty suffered unprecedented damage. As the shelling subsided, people began to count casualties. What is shocking is that 34 US troops were killed in this attack, 164 were wounded, and the entire warship was shot in a total of 821 places, almost unrecognizable.
The Liberty was almost sunk in the rough sea, and its fate seemed sealed. The officers and soldiers fell into a deep despair, they did not know who had carried out the attack or what would happen next.
At first, the Americans thought that the attack was carried out by the former Soviet Union. Because at that time, the United States and the Soviet Union both deployed a large number of military forces in the nearby waters, and the relationship between the two sides was also extremely tense. However, when the results of the survey came out, it surprised everyone. It turned out that it was neither the USSR nor the Soviet juniors who attacked them, but their close ally - Israel.
Why did the Israelis kill the US ship "Freedom"? This question has aroused widespread concern and speculation. There are many theories, but one of the more plausible theories is the "murder theory".
It is said that while wandering aimlessly at sea, the Liberty stumbled upon a secret mission by the Israeli army to execute 60 Egyptian prisoners of war. The 60 prisoners of war may have been captured by the Israeli army for some reason, but their fate was not to be tried or imprisoned, but to be executed.
Imagine how shocking such a scene would have been for the crew of the Liberty. They probably never imagined that they would witness such cruelty and inhumanity with their own eyes. What makes them even more disturbing is that the Israeli army may cover up this crime by killing them.
Because for Israel, such an act must not be leaked. The massacre of prisoners of war was a grave violation of international conventions and moral norms, and once the news got out, Israel's international image would be seriously damaged. They may lose the trust and support of the international community and may even face international sanctions.
Therefore, the Israeli military decided to take an extreme action - to blow up the "Freedom". In this way, no one will be able to divulge this secret, and they can continue to maintain a good image of themselves internationally. Of course, this is only one of the theories, and the truth of the matter may be more complicated and confusing.
However, in the aftermath of the conflict, the Israeli side tried to cover up their actions in a cunning way. They argued that it was a bombing by mistake and that they mistakenly believed it to be an Egyptian ship. But the truth is often hidden in the details.
In fact, at that critical moment, the American flag flew high on the mast of the USS Liberty, which was a symbol and a proclamation. The striking GTR-5 logo on the hull means that this is an official American ship for anyone with a modicum of common sense. What's more, the Israeli army, which is well trained, should be well aware of this kind of marking.
However, despite the fact that they clearly saw all this, they still chose to kill the killer. Their artillery fire ruthlessly tore apart the hull of the Liberty, leaving it to struggle helplessly on the surface of the sea. All this shows that their target is the USS Liberty, which is flying the American flag.
After the incident, the compensation from the Israeli side was only $13 million. This figure is undoubtedly an irony for those who have lost relatives and friends as a result of this incident. And then-US President Johnson, he chose to handle the matter coldly, and his order was: "Don't embarrass Israel." ”
Speaking of the United States, why does the world's leading power be so reluctant to speak out about Israel? In fact, there is a big reason behind this, and that is the influence of Jewish capital in the United States. Did you know that there are about 15 million Jews in the world, half of them live in Israel, the other half are scattered all over the United States, and the remaining small are scattered around the world?
Although there are only 6 million Jews in the United States, a small percentage of the total population of the United States, these Jews are not an ordinary existence. They occupy the elite of the United States, and many of the big companies we are familiar with, such as Google, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, etc., were founded by Jews. The economic influence of these Jews can be said to be significant.
In addition to the economic sphere, American Jews also have great influence in politics and culture. It has been said that America has been radically transformed by a Jewish-led society. If you look at the upper echelons of the American elite, they are either Jews, spiritual Jews, or politicians who are controlled and raised by Jews. They hold the economic lifeblood of the United States and, to some extent, the political direction of the United States.
So, when Israel has problems, the United States tends to choose to side with Israel. It's not that the United States is really afraid of Israel, but they are afraid of the power of Jewish capital. In the eyes of Americans, Israel is like their "father", and the United States is more like a "son". Think about it, if a father beats his son, does the son dare to fight back?
In fact, Jews are not a race, but a class. In the United States, they formed a real ruling class. The control of this class over the United States can be said to be deep in the bone marrow. Therefore, like the "Freedom" incident in 1967, it will not be resolved in the end. Because the U.S. government knows that if it offends Jewish capital, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Therefore, the United States swallows its anger against Israel, not because they are really afraid of Israel, but because they are more afraid of losing the support of Jewish capital. In the eyes of the Americans, Israel's position can be said to be very important, and they would rather sacrifice some interests to maintain good relations with Israel. After all, for the United States, the influence of Jewish capital cannot be ignored in any way.