▁bl amed ▁for ▁their ▁actions ▁and ▁this ▁would ▁und erm ine ▁Western ▁confidence ▁in ▁the ▁existing ▁Egypt ian ▁regime ▁by ▁generating ▁public ▁in security ▁and ▁actions ▁to ▁bring ▁about ▁arr ests , ▁demonstr ations , ▁and ▁acts ▁of ▁reven ge , ▁while ▁totally ▁conce aling ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁factor . ▁The ▁operation ▁failed , ▁the ▁perpet rat ors ▁were ▁arrested ▁by ▁Egypt ian ▁police ▁and ▁brought ▁to ▁justice , ▁two ▁were ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death , ▁several ▁to ▁long ▁term ▁imprison ment . ▁ ▁The ▁Isra eli ▁government ▁has ▁denied ▁any ▁link ▁to ▁the ▁Bag hd ad ▁bomb ings , ▁and ▁bl amed ▁Ira qi ▁national ists ▁for ▁the ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Jews . ▁ ▁However , ▁according ▁to ▁Sh alom ▁C ohen , ▁when ▁the ▁Lav on ▁affair ▁broke ▁in ▁Israel , ▁Lav on ▁remarked , ▁" This ▁method ▁of ▁operating ▁was ▁not ▁invent ed ▁for ▁Egypt . ▁It ▁was ▁tried ▁before ▁in ▁Ira q ." ▁ ▁The ▁Ira qi ▁Jewish ▁anti - Z ion ist ▁author ▁N ae im ▁Gil adi ▁maintain s ▁that ▁the ▁bomb ings ▁were ▁" per pet r ated ▁by ▁Z ion ist ▁agents ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁cause ▁fear ▁amongst ▁the ▁Jews , ▁and ▁so ▁promote ▁their ▁ex od us ▁to ▁Israel ." ▁This ▁theory ▁is ▁shared ▁by ▁Uri ▁Av n ery , ▁who ▁wrote ▁in ▁My ▁friend , ▁the ▁enemy ▁that ▁" After ▁the ▁dis closure ▁of ▁the ▁Lav on ▁Aff air ... ▁the ▁Bag hd ad ▁affair ▁became ▁more ▁pla us ible "