Yes, it was a mistake that occured in 1967 before all the radar technology that both the U.S. and Israel have today. Keep in mind, that the day before the Arab-Israeli war started, the U.S. promised General Yitzhak Rabin both privately and via the U.S. Ambassador to the UN in a public statement who said that the U.S. had no warships within a 350 mile radius.
The Israelis mistakenly identified it as the Egyptian ship El Quseir and since they had the word of the U.S. that there were no American ships in the area, they went ahead with the attack.
In addition, what possible motive would Israel have? We were their biggest ally in their fight against the Islamic aggressors.
Yes, and Afghanistan.
Except that Israel doesn't have a population and religious leadership that is dedicated to destroying another country, much less our country.
I said arguably. The reason is because Ahmadinejad has about the same approval rating as President Bush and a complete takeover by Islamists even more radical than him is quite likely. And yes, this population and religious leadership has threatened, no not threatened, promised to either convert the "Great Satan" (as the mullahs call it) to sharia law or see to its destruction.