Question

With reference to the Arab-Israel conflict, write a detailed account of:

The Yom Kippur War of 1973.

Answer 1

1. Egypt and Syria, two Arab countries, fought the Yom Kippur War from 6th to 25th October 1973.
2. The war started because Egypt and Syria intended to reclaim the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula, which they had lost to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.
3. On Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, they unexpectedly launched an attack on Israel. They attacked from the south by going through the Suez Canal, and they struck from the north in the Golan Heights.
4. At first, the Arab forces made progress and pushed Israel back. But Israel quickly fought back, pushed the attackers back, and moved into both Egyptian and Syrian land.
5. As of 25th October, there was no more fighting. The United Nations and big world powers like the US and the USSR made this possible.
6. Although Egypt and Syria lost the war, it paved the way for subsequent peace initiatives. Egypt later signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979, making it the first Arab nation to do so.
7. The battle was significant because it highlighted the need for regional peace and demonstrated the power of Arab solidarity.