Sailing for publicity against Israeli crimes is becoming more common. Most recently, a retired American professor has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from his home in Texas to the Mediterranean in memory of the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Americans. The USS Liberty was an electronic surveillance ship monitoring transmissions off the coast of Egypt during the 6-day war in 1967. On June 8, Israeli air and sea forces attacked the ship, killing or injuring over half of the crew.
Israel apologized for the incident, stating it mistook the American ship for an Egyptian one. But many Americans, including surviving crew members of the Liberty, believe the ship, with raised American flags and large English letters painted on it, had to have known it was American.
74-year-old Larry Toenjas of Houston, Texas, along with two others set sail months ago to bring attention to this incident. Toenjas' wife, Jean, discussed her concerns about her husband's safety.
Although the USS Liberty has been the most decorated ship since World War II, and its captain received the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor, the U.S. government has not carried out any investigation into the Israeli attack. Some analysts fear this has set a dangerous precedent in American-Israeli relations.
Toenjas is currently sailing in Malta and is expected to reach international waters off the Egyptian coast where the Liberty was attacked within the next month.
