PodcastPodcast, The Take
The Take: How US donor bodies were sold for Israeli military training
How donated cadavers from US universities ended up in Israeli military surgical training.
![A member of the Israeli security forces aims his weapon while patrolling during a military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, south of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 11, 2026. The Israeli-occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving both Israeli troops and settlers. [Zain Jaafar/ AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AFP__20260511__B2GM6K7__v1__HighRes__PalestinianIsraelConflict-1778683135.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Published On 13 May 2026
The University of Southern California has been selling bodies donated for scientific research and education to the United States Navy. Some are being used to train Israeli military surgical teams in Los Angeles – all without the donors’ consent.
Watch the AJ+ documentary here and read students’ reporting here.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4The Take: ‘This is my last voice note’ – How piracy returned to Somalia
- list 2 of 4The Take: Inside the Israeli bloc that could topple Netanyahu
- list 3 of 4The Take: What the Democrats’ Gaza fight means for the 2028 US elections
- list 4 of 4The Take: Is the Pentagon’s UFO dump a political distraction?
In this episode:
- Dena Takruri (@denatakruri), AJ+ senior presenter
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.