Bibliotheca Alexandrina -Anwar Sadat Sadat launched a military attack in coordination with Syria to retake the Sinai peninsula taken by Israel in the 6 day War of 1967, sparking the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973. Israel staved off any advance by Egypt to recapture the Sinai Peninsula, but sustained heavy casualties and loss of military equipment. Sadat emerged from the war with greatly enhanced prestige as the first Arab leader to have actually retaken some territory from Israel.