YOM KIPPUR WAR OF 1973

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
The Ronald B. Saunders Project
The National Black Political Caucus Archives
Pittsburgh PA
November 29, 2010

Blogger Black Buzz received the Silver Poet's Award from the World Book of Poetry in 1987 for his poem titled the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

YOM KIPPUR WAR OF 1973

Out of the night came the gallant Egyptian Army in a sudden surprise attack
Only to be driven back by the Israelis with the sand of the Sinai at their back

The proud Syrian Army from Damascus attacked Israel on the same night
However they were halted by the tough Israelis at the Golan Heights

Egyptian and Syrian Ironclads slugged it out with the Israeli Tanks,
Exposing their very vulnerable left Flank
When the dust settled from battle the victorious Israelis had won,
While the Arabs lie defeated in the torrid hot sun, which was no fun
as they fled north and south on the run.


Will the Arab Armies ever attack Israel on its most holy day of the year?
Nor shall the Israelis yield an inch of their reconquered land, a point Mr. Begin makes very clear.

copyright 1977

By

Ronald B. Saunders
Chairman of the Board
The National Black
Political Caucus


* The Yom Kippur War began on Saturday, October 6, 1973 and ended on October 25, 1973.
Blogger Black Buzz notes the following:
1. At exactly 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, Israel was attacked simultaneously by Egypt in the South and Syria in the north. Most of the Jews had been fasting during the previous twenty-four hours, for October 6 was the most sacred time of their entire year- the day of atonement.
2. The attack had originally been set for 6: P.M. but two Russian Orbital Sputniks had relayed information that Israel had finally taken invasion threats seriously and had begun mobilization.
3. The raw power and massive troop movements were astounding. In fact before it ended, this would be the largest conventional war, in terms of armored forces, since the end of World War II in 1945.
Some 5,000 tanks alone were employed more than Adolf Hitler used when he invaded Russia, and more than the combined total owned by the Brits and France in 1973. Over one million men would fight, of which 838,000 were Arabs, pitted against 275,000 Jews. Abba Eban foreign minister of Israel, in his statement to United Nations on October 8, 1973 said: "Egypt attacked us with 3,000 tanks, 2,000 heavy guns, 1,000 aircraft, and 600,00 men."
4. By any conventional measurement the Yom Kippur War should have been the annihilation of Israel. Israel was caught off guard and hopelessly outnumbered both man and machine wise. Indeed, for awhile it looked just this way. Golda Meir would later confess: "For the first time in our twenty-five year history, we thought we might have lost."
At one point in the war, only seven battered tanks stood in the way of the Syrians in the North and less than ninety separated the Egyptians in the South. But for some unknown reason or reasons the Egyptians and the Syrians stopped their advances for a full forthy-eight hours. This gave Israel the time they needed for complete mobilization. Why did the Egyptians and Syrians stop their advance when they could have defeated Israel? Military Historians have been pondering the previous question since 1973 and they haven't come up with a satisfactory reason or plausible explanation that would justify why the Egyptians and Syrians halted their advance.
On Friday, October 19, the greatest tank battle in world history was fought in the Sinai desert. Thousands of these armored war machines slugged it out. When the battle smoke had cleared, Israel had won a decisive battle.
5. Why did Jordan's great King Hussein remain out of the war? King Hussein had taken part in the previous three attacks upon Israel. If King Hussein would have helped his Arab brethren that would have assured an Arab victory.
6. When the United Nations finally was able to enforce a cease-fire, the Israeli troops were within twenty miles of Damascus. Why did the Israelis stop from taking Damascus. It is believed that the Russians send President Nixon a cable stating that "If you don't stop those damn Jews we will." Note the Israelis stopped. Nixon apparently wasn't ready to start a nuclear show-down over Israelis advancements toward Damascus. Thus the Bear and her client puppet states of Egypt, and Syria had been defeated again just as they were in the Six-Day War. The Bear's backing of Arab states in the Middle East Region against Israel had gotten then absolutely nothing in two major wars. Shortly thereafter the Bear would go down to defeat in another obscure place called Afghanistan. The Bear has been loosing wars and battles every since 1946.
7. On October 25, 1973, the fourth ( and by far, the biggest ) Middle East War came to an end. Arab causalities exceeded 15,000. Israel losses were over 4, 000.