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The Yom Kippur War

Modern Middle East

Fall 2002

Arab Frustrations

� Everyone underestimated Arab frustrations concerning the aftermath of the Six Day War.

� Most area experts knew those frustrations existed but chalked them up to efforts to destroy Israel.

� But Anwar Sadat warned anyone that would listen that Egypt may provoke a war to get the West�s attention.

� Sadat also thought that even if Egypt attacked and lost so what.

� By then Egypt would regained some lands that Nasser lost in 1967.

� Then Egypt would be in a better position to negotiate with Jerusalem.

War Preps

� Sadat began meeting privately with other Arab heads of state.

� Of course this dealt with a possible war with Israel.

� One fellow that was left out of the picture was Qadhafi.

� Qadhafi always made unannounced visits to Cairo to criticize Sadat for not being stronger against Israel.

� Instead Sadat meet with Hafiz al-Asad of Syria (he came to power in 1970) and King Hussan, who sought to end his nation�s isolation in the Arab World.

� The Saudi�s were also bankrolling him too.

Sadat�s Minisummit

� In early September 1973, the three rulers met.

� They agreed to revive �the Eastern Front� against Israel.

� Not long after, a major dogfight took place between Syrian and Israeli Air Forces.

� The Israelis splashed thirteen enemy aircraft with only one aircraft lost.

� How did the Egyptians do it.

Egyptians Take Advantage of Events

� No one expected an attack.

� Americans were too preoccupied with Watergate.

� And more important, the end of the Vietnam fiasco.

� The attack would come on a Jewish holiday.

� Both Syria and Egypt agreed since Jordan lacked an adequate air defense capability that Jordan should stay out of the fighting.

� The Soviets also launched a new spy satellite to help the Arab cause.

Being Caught off Guard

� The attack began with a massive Egyptian air and artillery attack on the Bar Lev Line.

� A similar major tank attack was led by Syria on the Golan Heights.

� The IDF only had 600 troops on the Bar Lev line and 70 tanks on the Golan.

� The IDF was caught off guard.

� The Egyptians managed to initially gain control of the air and the Syrians gained Mt. Hermon.

Israel�s Initial Response

� Israel quickly mobilized their reserves.

� Reserves were immediately sent to the fighting front.

The Intelligence Failures

� Assumed that Syrian and Egyptian troop movements were nothing more than simple maneuvers.

� Did not believe that Arab Armies would attack during Ramadan.

� Failed to acknowledge the ominous warnings from their intelligence officers.

� On the eve of the attack, Golda Meir rejected a preemptive strike on Oct. 6.

The Course of the Attack

� The Arab Armies gained initially along the Sinai and the Golan.

� The Egyptians drove deep into the Sinai.

� The Syrians pressed their attack into the Jezreel Valley.

� Then things slowed down.

� The Syrians couldn�t believe their success.

� The Israelis feared uprisings on the West Bank.

� Egyptian forces stopped and starting digging in!

Oil and Weapons

� The quick response of the U.S. in re-supplying Israel.

� At first the U.S. feared the Arab reaction if weapons went to Israel.

� In 1967, the Arabs tried to use oil as a weapon.

� But an oil glut kept the prices down and the blockade failed.

� Now, 1973, the situation was different.

� OPEC announced that oil would be cut by 5% until Israel withdrew from all occupied territories.

� Long lines took place throughout the U.S.