JFK Documents Released, Including Redactions and Mentions of Israel

On Tuesday evening, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration released a significant batch of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This release included 2,182 PDF files, totaling approximately 63,400 pages, made available in two separate rounds. Some files contained redactions, raising questions about their completeness.

One notable document revealed that the CIA specifically requested the redaction of any mention of Israel. The memo stated, "CIA has no objection to declassification and/or release of information in this document, EXCEPT brackets Lee 8-7-98 (mentions of Israel)." 

This release follows an executive order from former President Donald Trump, who had pledged to unveil all classified materials related to the assassination. Trump estimated that the total release would involve around 80,000 pages, although the actual number was lower. His administration had already disclosed thousands of documents, and additional files were released during President Joe Biden's term, yet many remain classified due to national security concerns.

Researchers have noted that while the majority of the collection, over 6 million pages, has been made available, approximately 3,000 files still exist in whole or part as redacted. 

The newly released documents provide insights into intelligence operations at the time, including CIA communications regarding Lee Harvey Oswald's activities in Mexico City shortly before the assassination.