CAIR-LA Condemns USC’s ‘Disturbing’ Sale of Human Cadavers for Israeli Military Training

A review of seven years of contracts revealed that USC received more than $860,000 from the U.S. Navy to provide at least 89 human cadavers, including 32 specifically used for medical training of Israeli forces at Los Angeles General Medical Center. The Navy has already paid USC over half a million dollars under its most recent contract, which allows for an additional $225,000 in cadaver purchases through 2026.

The training courses reportedly used “fresh cadaver bodies” and “perfused cadavers”—bodies pumped with artificial blood to simulate living patients—to prepare Israeli surgical teams for battlefield scenarios. Many of these cadavers are believed to have come from unclaimed bodies, raising serious ethical concerns about consent, dignity, and respect for the deceased.

CAIR-LA condemned the partnership as a profound moral and ethical violation, especially amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, where more than 60,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed since October 2023.

In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:

“It is disturbing that USC would profit from the use of human remains to train members of the Israeli military—a military that is actively engaged in genocide. No American university should be complicit in genocide by partnering with a foreign military that has bombed hospitals, targeted medical professionals, and slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians.

“To use unclaimed bodies—people who could not consent—for this purpose is not only unethical, but also inhumane. Even in death, every person deserves dignity and respect, not to be treated as disposable tools of war. Our community deserves answers, accountability, and assurance that their loved ones’ remains are not being sold to support the machinery of occupation and war. USC and the U.S. Navy must be held accountable for this gross violation of human dignity.”

CAIR-LA is calling on USC to fully disclose the details of its military contracts, conduct an independent ethics review, and end any current or future collaborations with the Israeli military.

CAIR-LA previously condemned USC for its pattern of silencing anti-genocide voices on its campus, including the cancellation of valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s commencement speech in 2024.


SEE: USC sold dead bodies to U.S. military to train IDF medical personnel
https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2025/10/01/usc-sold-dead-bodies-to-us-military-to-train-idf-medical-personnel/


CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-la-condemns-uscs-disturbing-sale-of-human-cadavers-for-israeli-military-training-calls-for-transparency-and-accountability/