Attack and Win On Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur By Egypt: 1973

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

Speaking of wins;  Trump and his Deal with Iran, a basketball game in USA after 53 years of the Nix (New York) not winning;  This is what happened to Israelis after the winning the War in 1973, the same year of the basketball game in the States.:  

When the 1973 Yom Kippur War concluded, the Israeli public reaction was not one of celebratory triumph, but rather a profound mixture of relief, national trauma, and deep introspection. Despite eventually turning the tide to achieve a decisive military comeback, the overwhelming sentiment among Israelis was shaped by the devastating casualties and the shock of being caught completely unprepared.  Because the war began with a massive, coordinated surprise attack on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, citizens initially feared an existential threat to the state. When the fighting stopped, the sheer scale of the losses—roughly 2,650 Israeli soldiers killed—cast a heavy shadow over the country. 

 The stunning early setbacks shattered public faith in military leadership and the government. The public felt a sense of betrayal and hubris. This widespread anger ultimately mobilized the populace against the governing establishment, leading to massive protests, inquiries, and significant political shifts. Does this sound familiar?  The same attitude was going on today with the October 7, 2023 attack.  

Relief: While victory was achieved in military terms—with Israeli forces pushing back the advancing armies and encircling the Egyptian Third Army—in 1973, it was celebrated primarily as a survival of a disaster rather than a cause for joyful, triumphant celebrations.

 Ultimately, the trauma and strategic shock of the war forced a psychological shift. The Brookings Institution notes that the realization of the war's high cost set the stage for subsequent diplomacy, eventually culminating in the historic Egypt-Israel peace process.                   

     Nasser, sunglasses in suit, center:  Some of the attending heads of state at the Arab League Summit in Khartoum following the Six-Day War. From left to right: Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Nasser, Abdullah al-Sallal of Yemen, Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait and Abd al-Rahman Arif of Iraq, 2 September 1967.  Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970.                      

2nd Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981, by extremist members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad during an annual military parade in Cairo. 

The attack unfolded while Sadat was watching the victory parade commemorating the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The brazen operation involved the following details: 

• The Attack: A truck carrying an assassination squad, led by army lieutenant Khaled el-Islambouli, stopped in front of the reviewing stand. The extremists dismounted, threw grenades, and opened fire with assault rifles directly into the crowd of officials

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made history as the first Arab leader to visit Israel, arriving in Jerusalem on November 19, 1977. His groundbreaking three-day trip was aimed at advancing the peace process and included a historic address to the Israeli Knesset.  It was a success !!! They loved him!!!

 The 1979 Peace Treaty
Following the Accords, the two nations signed a formal peace treaty on March 26, 1979. The core terms included: 

• Mutual Recognition: Egypt became the first Arab state to officially recognize Israel. Anwar el-Sadat was the president of Egypt from 1970-1981 who shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for establishing peace agreements with Israel.
• Territorial Return: Israel agreed to withdraw all military and civilian presence from the Sinai Peninsula. In exchange, Egypt designated the peninsula as a demilitarized zone and accepted diplomatic normalization.
• Waterways: Egypt guaranteed the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal and recognized the Strait of Tiran and Gulf of Aqaba as international waterways. 

3. Current Dynamics and Challenges
While the treaty resulted in "cold peace", the military and diplomatic agreements remain fully intact. The countries maintain formal embassies, bilateral trade, and close security cooperation regarding border security and regional stability.