«Yom Kippur» is Hebrew and means something like «festival of reconciliation«. It is the highest jewish holiday, where Jews reflect on their relationships with their fellow human beings and with God. The day of fasting and rest takes place on a different day each year. In the year 1973 fell on Yom Kippur October 6thbut this year the festival was different – Israel became from Egypt and Syria attacked, who wanted to reconquer the territories occupied by Israel.
The war is called the Yom Kippur War due to its overlap with the holiday of Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur War – Prehistory
After this Six Day War 1967 between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan, Israel had conquered large areas, including the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Israel was willing to give up much of it in order to keep the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
If you want to know more about the Six Day War If you want to know more, please read the explanation.
Negotiations with Egypt and Syria about the occupation by Israel and offers of withdrawal failed, however, as the Arab countries united unconditional withdrawal demanded. So the fronts hardened, the occupation by Israel continued in the areas and between Autumn 1967 and Summer 1970 Fighting broke out along the Suez Canal. Egypt tried to push back the Israeli army. Israel, on the other hand, wanted to prove the strength of its army and secure its strategic position.
Yom Kippur War – Preparation
on the Yom Kippur War The Egyptian army had prepared extensively – for example, they had rehearsed the crossing of the Suez Canal as a model. The timing of the attack was also precisely planned: Israel was increasingly isolated in its foreign policy situation, but domestically preparations were being made for the Knesset elections in addition, the highest holiday of the Jews, Yom Kippurthe people in the house.
Knesset is the unicameral parliament of Israel, which is elected for a legislative period of four years.
At the same time, the Muslims celebrated Ramadan, which is why the Arab side called the war «Ramadan war» referred to as.
Israeli intelligence reported troop movements on the Egyptian and Syrian borders, but no one believed this would mean an attack. One suspected the usual autumn maneuvers of the troops.
Yom Kippur War – Summary of the course of the war
The Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir and the Secretary of Defense Moshe Dayan miscalculated the military risk. So flew on October 06, 1973 240 Egyptian aircraft across the Suez Canal and attacked Israeli positions while simultaneously 2000 guns opened fire along the entire length of the canal and in northern Israel 700 Syrian tanks on the Golan Heights headed for
Figure 2: Yom Kippur War Map, Bar Lev Line
However, the success of the Arab armies did not last long, Israel was able to stop the advance of the Arab troops and recapture the country, so that the Golan Heights were conquered just two days later, on October 08, 1973were again under Israeli occupation.
Israel had lost some weapons and military equipment as a result of the attack, but these were replaced by supplies from the USA. But Egypt and Syria also had them support of a great powerthey were equipped with war material by the Soviet Union.
Israel did not stop at the old occupation lines in its land conquest, but pushed further into Syrian and Egyptian territory. The Israeli Air Force bombed the Syrian capital Damascus. In Egypt, the Israeli troops crossed the Suez Canal and approached Cairo.
End of the Yom Kippur War
Even if the great powers supported the warring parties with material, they were actually involved in one end of the war Interested. They also supported the am October 22, 1973 approved by the UN Security Council Resolution 338in which the armistice and peace negotiations for a lasting peace in the Middle East were demanded. In addition, the resolution called for the requests of the Resolution 242that in response to the Six Day War was passed to fulfill. For Israel, this meant withdrawing from the occupied territories, and the Arab states were required to recognize Israel as a state.
Resolution 338 of October 22, 1973:
the security council,
1. Calls upon all those involved in the current hostilities to cease all fire and military activity on the positions they now hold immediately and no later than 12 hours from the date of adoption of this decision;
2. Calls upon the parties involved to begin implementing Security Council resolution 242 (1967) in its entirety as soon as the fire has ceased;
3. Decides that immediately and concurrently with the ceasefire, negotiations between the parties concerned, under appropriate auspices, will begin with a view to achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.1
Yom Kippur War – Consequences
At the October 26, 1973 The war ended with the signing of the resolution by both warring parties. The war cost 2,700 Israelis and about 20,000 Syrians and Egyptians The life. However, Israel did not lay down their arms after the truce, prompting the UN Security Council to urge them again to respect the ceasefire.
The Soviet Union demanded an intervention, and announced it if necessary to intervene alonewhereupon the USA worldwide all military bases in alert rejoined – also those with nuclear weaponsalthough in Juni 1973 an agreement between the great powers prevention of nuclear war gave.
The Israeli prime minister resigned with the defense minister. There were too many critical questions
to which Meir and Dayan could not answer, such as how Egypt and Syria could prepare for this war so undisturbed.
At the October 28, 1973 Under pressure from the Americans, Israel and Egypt began negotiations, which ended on November 11, 1973 with a Armistice Agreement ended as a result. 1982 Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt after the Egyptian President Nov 1977 to make peace for the recovery of the Sinai Peninsula and to speak before the Israeli Parliament.
After his speech in front of the Israeli Parliament, the US President invited Jimmy Carter Egypt and Israel for peace negotiations at his country estate in the US CampDavid a.