Conflicts|Arab-Israeli Wars
The 1973 Yom Kippur War was a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria on Israel during its holiest day, testing Israel’s military resilience and reshaping regional geopolitics.
On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise assault on Israel during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The attack caught Israel off guard, as Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal into the Sinai Peninsula and Syrian troops stormed the Golan Heights. The war shook Israeli confidence in its intelligence and military preparedness, especially after the decisive victory in the 1967 Six-Day War.
In the first days of the war, Israeli forces suffered heavy losses. The Bar-Lev Line in Sinai collapsed under Egyptian pressure, and Syrian forces advanced deep into the Golan. Mobilization of reserve units turned the tide by the second week, and Israel began a counteroffensive that led to the encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army and a push toward Damascus.
The war lasted 19 days and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Although Israel retained its territory, it suffered over 2,500 dead and tens of thousands wounded. The war had lasting consequences: the resignation of key Israeli generals, a reevaluation of national security doctrine, and eventually the Camp David Accords with Egypt in 1978.
The psychological trauma of the war reshaped Israeli society and politics. It also marked the start of closer U.S.-Israeli strategic coordination and highlighted the risks of complacency in the face of regional hostility.
IDF Archives, U.S. State Department Reports, Israeli National Archives
