The Ghost of Yom Kippur, Israel's Pearl Harbor

(Forbes) Asaf Romirowsky - The Yom Kippur War in 1973 was Israel's Pearl Harbor. On Yom Kippur (October 6, 1973) - the holiest day on the Jewish calendar - Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israel. The Israel Defense Forces lost 2,688 soldiers and more than 7,200 were injured. In retrospect, Israel should have been far more prepared. One cannot understand the Israeli mindset today - especially with regard to Iran - without understanding the events that took place in 1973. Israel cannot afford to make any mistakes regarding Iran because "do overs" are not an option, and the cost of non-conventional warfare is far greater than conventional warfare. The writer is an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Forum and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.


2012-10-03 00:00:00

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