Yom Kippur War

Setting the scene

By 1973, Israel had occupied the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, West Bank, and Gaza since the 1967 Six-Day War. Egypt's President Anwar Sadat and Syria's President Hafez al-Assad sought to regain lost territory and restore Arab pride. They planned a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, when Israel would be least prepared. On October 6, 1973, at 2:00 p.m., Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked simultaneously—Egypt crossing the Suez Canal and Syria attacking the Golan Heights.

What happened

The attack achieved complete surprise. Egyptian forces breached Israel's Bar-Lev Line and advanced into Sinai, while Syrians nearly broke through on the Golan. Israel, caught off guard, suffered heavy losses—500 tanks destroyed in the first days. The United States launched Operation Nickel Grass, an airlift of weapons to Israel, while the Soviet Union resupplied Arabs. After initial setbacks, Israel mobilized reserves and counterattacked. General Ariel Sharon's forces crossed the Suez Canal, encircling Egypt's Third Army. On the Golan, Israel pushed Syrians back and advanced toward Damascus. A ceasefire took effect on October 25.

Why it still matters

The Yom Kippur War, though a military victory for Israel, was a psychological shock that ended Israel's sense of invincibility. It led to the 1973 oil crisis—Arab OPEC members embargoed nations supporting Israel, quadrupling oil prices and causing global recession. The war paved the way for peace—Sadat's visit to Jerusalem in 1977 and the Egypt-Israel peace treaty in 1979, the first between Israel and an Arab state. The war demonstrated that the Arab-Israeli conflict could trigger superpower confrontation—the U.S. went to DEFCON 3, its highest alert since the Cuban Missile Crisis. It also showed that Israel could not achieve security through military dominance alone.

Background

The conflict contributed to global oil market turmoil.