The Yom Kippur War took place in 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab nations. The spelling of "Yom Kippur" is derived from Hebrew and is pronounced /jɔm kɪpʊr/. The proper noun "Yom" means "day" in Hebrew and "Kippur" comes from the Hebrew word for "atonement." The correct spelling in English includes the use of capital letters for both words and the absence of a hyphen between them. The Yom Kippur War had significant political and military consequences for both Israel and the Arab world.
Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or the Ramadan War, was a major conflict that took place from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria. The war was named after the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, during which the surprise attack on Israel was launched.
This conflict arose primarily from political and territorial disputes over the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, which had been occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. In an attempt to regain control of these territories, the Arab coalition launched a concerted attack on Israeli positions on Yom Kippur, catching the Israeli forces off guard and initially gaining significant territorial gains.
However, Israel quickly recovered and launched a counter-offensive that pushed back the Arab forces, inflicting heavy casualties on all sides. The war eventually ended with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire, leaving Israel in control of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights.
The Yom Kippur War resulted in significant geopolitical implications, particularly in terms of altering regional power dynamics. It highlighted the military capabilities of Arab nations and led to a subsequent oil crisis due to their retaliation against countries supporting Israel. This conflict also paved the way for subsequent peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, as well as increased diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.