Fair enough (and sorry "read up a bit" was uncalled for by me!)
Yep definitely I agree with all that,
I'm not actually sure Israel using nukes would actually set off a Global nuclear escalation though, mainly because I can't see either the US or the USSR wanting to go out in flames over Israel (or Damascus, Cairo, Riyadh etc)
if nothing else Israel has kind of snuck into the Nuclear club by the back entrance, they're officially not supposed to have them so both super powers can kind of play Israel chucking them around as "rogue nation using nukes, oh look how important it is to keep these things well controlled" i.e. that don't have to make Israel going Nuclear part of their own official (and thus hard to duck) nuclear exchanges policies, in the same way as say Russian tanks getting far enough to western Europe might be. This is good thing because the super powers are at trigger point anyway, you really don't want such a volatile situation as Israel and co being the trigger for all out nuclear war.
Or put it another way, 1973 was the 3rd attack on Israel by it neighbours in 15 years, is the US & the USSR really going to bank on Israel beating back it neighbours every time as the only thing stopping MAD? Basically while both relaying on MAD to keep the other in check both the US and the USSR like continuing to exist, and both liked to to keep potential flash points at least within their direct control!