The Yom Kippur war

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: The surprise attack by Hamas on Israel has brought back memories of the Yom Kippur war

What was Yom Kippur war:

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, occurred from October 6 to 25, 1973, pitting Israel against Egypt and Syria.
Following Israel’s dominant Six-Day War victory in 1967, the conflict marked the Fourth Arab-Israeli War.
Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack during the Holy Islamic month of Ramadan, initially gaining ground.
Israel eventually counterattacked, leading to a ceasefire mediated by the UN, but not before the superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, got involved, and Israel’s invincibility image was challenged.

What is Yom Kippur:

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism.
It is also known as the Day of Atonement.
It is observed on the 10th day of the lunar month of Tishri, which falls in September or early October.

Why was the significance of the Yom Kippur war:

The Yom Kippur War was significant because it revealed Israel’s vulnerability, despite eventual victory.
Egypt’s goal was to bruise Israel, not defeat it outright.
The war prompted negotiations, leading to the 1978 Camp David Accords, with Israel returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and establishing the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty in 1979.
However, Syria gained no benefits and saw Israel expand its occupation of the Golan Heights.

Why is the current violence being compared with the Yom Kippur war:

First it marks the deadliest assault on Israel since the Yom Kippur war, where over 2,500 Israeli soldiers lost their lives.
The second similarity is the criticism within Israel for the state being found unprepared.The recent attack came as a surprise, despite Israel’s advanced intelligence and interception systems.
This attack came when many Israelis were preparing to observe Simchat Torah, which marks the end of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new one.
The Torah constitutes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.