1973 - 1977
THE YOM KIPPUR WAR - OCTOBER 6-24,
1973
In the years following the Six Day War, all sectors of the economy prospered and flourished. During
this period Israel consolidated her position in the world, although the Arab nations refused to accept
the new reality. The armies of Egypt and Jordan embarked on a war of attrition. Frequent attempts
were made to infiltrate the borders and penetrate IDF positions and there were many incidents when
shots were fired at Israeli soldiers. The war of attrition lasted for 17 months. During this time 721
Israelis were killed, 594 of them soldiers.
The Arab states continued to reequip their armies and train their soldiers. Gamal Abdel Nasser died
in Egypt, and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat. On October 6, 1973 (Yom Kippur 5734) war broke out,
when Egypt and Syria attacked Israel. Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan declared that “...the Third
Temple (the third commonwealth of Jewish sovereignty) is in danger.”
The Egyptian forces broke through the fortification line on the Suez Canal and overran the Sinai
Peninsula. At the same time, the Syrians pushed towards the Golan Heights in an attempt to penetrate
the valley and drive a wedge into Israel. Since warning signs had been ignored or misinterpreted,
Israel was totally surprised by the onslaught. The country was unprepared, in the midst of observing
Yom Kippur. The army swiftly regrouped and mobilized reserve forces, while the soldiers in the front
lines struggled to hold back the onslaught. Militarily the outcome of the war was a victory for the
Israeli forces. Under adverse conditions they succeeded in seizing the initiative and pushing the battle
into enemy territory. At the war’s end the IDF were poised 40 kilometers (28 miles) from Damascus
in the north, and beyond the western bank of the Suez Canal on the road to Cairo in the south. In
addition, the Israeli army succeeded in encircling and cutting off Egypt’s Third Army in Sinai.
The war ended on October 24, but the IDF’s regular and reserve soldiers were confined to their
outposts for many more months. The Yom Kippur war took a very heavy toll: 2569 soldiers fell in
battle and more than 300 were taken prisoner.
After the cease fire took effect, further negotiations culminated in the signing of separation
agreements. Israel withdrew from the areas captured during the war and arrangements were made for
the separation of forces on both sides of the border. Territory held by Israel prior to the outbreak of the
war was transferred to UN forces stationed in the separation zones.
The war created a great rift among the people. Confidence in the army’s intelligence-gathering
ability was severely shaken. Accusations were leveled at many leaders in the political and military
fields, revealing grave defects and dividing the nation. A process of sober thought followed the sense
of elation and euphoria engendered by the Six Day War. From the political point of view, the war
brought about a transfer of power in Israel. In 1977, for the first time in the history of the State, the
Likud party rose to power and the Labour party sat in opposition.
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