I hate responding to people who talkback cloaked in anonymity for fear their cover will be blown by the truth and facts making them look stupid. Put yourself out there boy like the rest of us and take a chance. You are referring to Operation Kadesh when Israel attacked "Sharm el-Sheikh, Arish, Abu Uwayulah, and the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian blockade of the Tiran Straits was based at Sharm el-Sheikh and, by capturing the town, Israel would have access to the Red Sea for the first time since 1953, which would allow it to restore the trade benefits of secure passage to the Indian Ocean," (I'm not including footnotes here). This conflict began in October, 1956, when Dayan ordered full mobilization of IDF. The British and French move was called Operation Revise, and approved by their cabinets in Sept, 1956. This attack on Egypt had been planned well in advance, after Nassar nationalized the Canal in July, 1956, and his new political alliances with the Soviets and Communist China became public. This whole affair was a Cold War drama."The aims of the attack were primarily to regain Western control of the canal and to remove Nasser from power. The three allies, especially Israel, were mainly successful in attaining their immediate military objectives, but pressure from the United States and the USSR at the United Nations and elsewhere forced them to withdraw." I will give you Mr. Anonymous--you don't sound Jewish, was it changed at Ellis Island? that I could be more clear when I write that Israel attacked Egypt. It would have been more accurate to write that she attacked in the Sinai to re-open the Straits, while Britain and France attacked to regain control of the Canal and insure its regular operation out of the hands of the inept Egyptian technicians and the sinister Soviets and Chinese who were intent on interrupting Western shipments thru the Canal.

First of all, Dr Goldmeier, please do not insult your own integrity by resorting to sneering at anonymous contributors. It makes you seem unsure of yourself right from the outset - as well you might be had you taken just a moment to check your facts.

In the run-up to the Six-Day War of 1967 the Israeli government had a short list of casūs bellorum, acts that it considered provocations justifying armed retaliation. The most important was a blockade of the Straits of Tiran leading into Eilat, Israel's only port to the Red Sea, through which Israel received much of its oil.

After several border incidents between Israel and Egypt's allies, Syria and Jordan, Egypt expelled UNEF peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula, established a military presence at Sharm el-Sheikh, and announced a blockade of the straits, prompting Israel to cite its casus belli in opening hostilities against Egypt.

According to Michael Oren, an American-born Israeli historian, author, and the current Israeli ambassador to the United States (you might have heard of him perhaps, Dr Goldmeier), Nasser disregarded the counsel of his own intelligence and began massing his troops in the Sinai Peninsula on Israel's border (May 16), expelled the UNEF force from Gaza and Sinai (May 19), and took up UNEF positions at Sharm el-Sheikh, overlooking the Straits of Tiran.

As Egypt and Syria shared a mutual defence pact, Nasser responded to the Israeli threats by beginning to concentrate his troops in the Sinai Peninsula according to the "Qahir" (Conqueror) defence plan. He also decided to prepare the feda'iyyun for carrying out the "Fahd 2 (Leopard) Plan" [murderous attacks] inside Israel and to coordinate military operations with Syria.

The Straits of Tiran was regarded by the Western Powers and Israel as an international waterway, but its legal status was the subject of international controversy. The Arabs believed that they had the right to regulate passage of ships while Israel, with the support of other major world powers, countered that the Arab claims were legally not supportable.

In 1967 Israel reiterated declarations made in 1957 that any closure of the Straits would be considered an act of war, or a justification for war.

It is there, dear Dr Goldmeier, that your fundamental error of fact lies, but let me continue.

On May 22 Nasser declared the Straits closed to Israeli shipping. Nasser stated he was open to referring the closure to the International Court of Justice to determine its legality, but this option was rejected by Israel. Egyptian propaganda attacked Israel, and on May 27, Nasser stated "Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel. The Arab people want to fight."

As if your sneers about my anonymity were not enough, Dr Goldmeier, you then have the unbounded temerity and downright chutzpah to cast doubts on my Jewishness.

What possible cause can you have for that? Have you not noticed that this is not some two-cent rag, such as Vos Iz Neias. Your unnecessary epithets might go down well there, but - so far - none of us had descended to that sort of thing here – until now.

Not only that but you then fall deeper into your self-dug trap by querying my name - which you do not even know! I am anonymous, remember? Not every Jew living in Israel transited the United States on his or her journey to Israel, my dear Dr Goldmeier; quite a few of us managed to avoid that, B”H. There are other countries beside the good ole Yew Ess Ay.

In a few weeks time, during the Ten Days of penitence when you will doubtless seek selicha umechila for all the wrongs you have done to your fellow man during the past year, just think of me: Mr Anonymous, who knew of what he wrote. You might even put a few dollars in your shul’s gemach as a kappara for the wrongs you have done me.

What? No vigorous rebuttal from Dr Goldmeier?