This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, a transformative and traumatic event in Israeli history. On October 6, 1973, during Yom Kippur, Israel was taken by surprise when Egypt and Syria launched coordinated attacks to reclaim territories lost in the 1967 Six Day War. The conflict revealed both Israel's vulnerabilities and its resilience, with swift mobilization of its defense forces during the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. In its aftermath, Israel faced internal demands for accountability, leading to significant political shifts. Crucially, the conflict set the stage for lasting peace initiatives, notably the Israel-Egypt treaty of 1979, and marked a shift in the Arab-Israeli dynamic from nation-state warfare to confrontations with non-state actors.
