THE YOM KIPPUR WAR: SOCIO-POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC REPERCUSSIONS

One of the hardest fought wars of all in the twentieth century was in 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of atonement (Yom Kippur). Egypt and Syria staged this war against Israel as a response to the Arab territories Israel captured during the Six-Day War of 1967 which include the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. The war did have a major influence on how Egypt and Israel eventually came to an agreement that resulted in Egypt receiving the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for long-term peace. The war proved costly for Israel, Egypt, and Syria, having caused momentous casualties, and having disabled or destroyed large quantities of military equipment. The study was carried out with the aid of secondary sources and internet materials. The result of the findings in this study shows that the Yom Kippur War of October 1973 was a turning point in Israelis military and strategic thought. Undeniably, the war taught all parties involved valuable lessons, but it seems that the Israelis have discussed the conflicts tactical direction, startling strategic shortcomings, and political ramifications the most. The paper concludes that the Arab-Israeli leaders in collaboration with the world superpowers need to come together to find a middle ground and a fair centre-stage where peace and harmony will be given utmost priority. This is the only way the differences between the two warring nations can be resolved.