October War Anniversary, Three Decades of Liberty, Peace and Development

Thirty years after the 6th of October war 1973. The War of great crossing, victory and liberation, which ushered the entire Middle East region into new horizons of just and comprehensive peace.

This was never to be materialized unless Egypt and the Arabs defeated Israel and restored that significant part of the territories occupied during the war of June 1967.

The overwhelming victory that Egypt achieved over Israel in October 1973 marked a turning point in the course of the history of the Middle East, as it changed many military and strategic postulates.

On the 6th of October, Egyptians were able to do what the whole world believed it was impossible. The Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal -the largest water barrier ever traversed in the history of warfare, overcame the enormous fortified artificial sand barriers, and broke through Bar Lev line.

It was not such a traditional war. Rather, it was a regain-self-confidence war that proved Arab warriors' ability to soundly think and plan. They managed to dispel the myth that the Israeli army is invincible.

According to military experts, the accurate planning and high performance that characterized the operation would not have been done better by any other army in the world.

As the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal, cutting through the Bar Lev line, said The Daily Telegraph, on October 7, 1973, it changed the course of history both for Egypt and the entire Middle East.

Crossing the Suez Canal, breaking through Bar Lev line and storming into Sinai to establish bridgeheads along the Canal coast were highly complicated tasks. The biggest challenge the Egyptian strategy had to face was to end a fait accompli imposed by the military force. Egypt rose to the challenge. It was clear, after October War, that the security of the region, including Israel, can never be maintained through tanks and missiles. It can only be achieved through a peaceful settlement agreed upon by both Arab countries and Israel. October War washed away Arabs' feelings of disgrace that had risen following the occupation of territories in three countries in June, 1967. It hurts Israel's prejudice as well.

The first week of the war was like punishment and torture for Israel, the Financial Times said on October 11, 1973. Within three weeks, they lost, according to official figures, 2,523 personnel, a loss which in proportionate terms is two and a half times of the US loss in the Vietnam war over ten years, said David Hirst, a British journalist, in his book The Gun and Olive Branch.

sights restored by the Egyptian army in the first day of battle. On this day the Egyptian forces achieved the greatest victory, said Financial Times on October 31, 1973.

For the first time in their lifetime, Israeli soldiers have known the experience of siege and isolation during battle, the disgrace of capture and the fear of ammunition running out, said Ha'aretz on November 2, 1973.

The war ended with a shock in Israel, said Haym Herotzog in his autobiography. It was a significant change in the mentality of Israeli leadership which began to seek a pragmatic policy to settle the crisis through peaceful means, he added. The war was also the beginning of the end of labor-party government, which had governed Israel for 25 years. Israel's confidence of its supremacy has vanished and its interior front began to wane.

"The Arabs have achieved a major portion of their objectives. They proved that they are able to overcome fear and to fight a war with unparalleled valor. They proved that they are able to cross the Suez Canal barrier. They took the Canal by force." admitted Ishi Javitch, an Israeli General, in a symposium on the October War, Jerusalem, September 16, 1974

The war proved that Israel has to reconsider its assessment of Arab fighters as "The October War has shaken Israel from top to bottom," said Zaev Schev, Israeli military commentator.

The evidence for the great victory can be, however, derived from the Israelis themselves. In this regard, we cite Golda Maeir as saying : "I write of the Yom Kippur War not as a military report, but as an intimate disaster or a horrible nightmare that I myself have suffered and which will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Thus, it was not a surprise that the Israeli newspaper Edot Ehranot revealed on 28th of October that Golda Maeir admitted frankly that she had thought of committing suicide.

Moshe Dayan, the Israeli defence minister, during the October war, said in December 1973 that the war was not less than an earthquake that hit Israel. He also admitted that what happened in this war had shown them a reality that they had not been aware of before, and ended up to a change in the mentality of the Israeli leaders.

Aba Eban, Israeli foreign minister during the October War, said in December 1973: "Many changes have taken place since 6 October 1973. We should not, therefore, overestimate Israel's military supremacy.

On the contrary, there is now an overwhelming sense in Israel of the need to review national rhetoric. We have to be more realistic." This sense is reiterated by Mushe Dayan who said: "The war has shown that we were no stronger than the Egyptians. The halo of supremacy and the political and military premise that Israel is stronger than the Arabs, that they would be defeated should they dare to start a war, did not hold true.

Therefore, it is normal that the Egyptians and the Arabs celebrate the anniversary of October War. In this connection, President Mubarak inaugurated June 17, marking the Media Day, a new location in the shooting area at the Media Production City. The location is a model of a fortified point of Bar Lev line that the Egyptian forces penetrated during the October War.

The location is used to film the military battles. It is, also, a tourist sight that young people visit to know about this shining spot of Egypt's modern history. The location was built by the armed forces engineering organization to embody this fortified spot.

The morale affairs department which affiliates with the armed forces designed and played the sound and light show. The audience can be acquainted with the details of crossing the Suez Canal and taking possession of Bar Lev line, through a simple dialogue, music and sound and light effects.

The idea of the show depends on a dialogue between the History, as a witness to the age that shows the actual facts of the War, and the fortified point which talks about itself, wondering how fortified it was against all attempts to cross the Canal. Such dialogue goes on and reveals how this fortified point fell and how Bar Lev line collapsed. It, also, tells the audience how the Egyptian army was able to achieve its holy tasks and restore the Suez Canal and a good portion of the occupied land.

Afterwards, the Egyptian political leadership efficiently managed to mastermind peace talks and restore the whole land. The gigantic achievements that Egypt witnessed are fruits of the October War. One important achievement is that October War "opened, by force, a way to peace" as the war was a part of and a gate to political compromise. It gave momentum to end the struggle and move forward towards peace and stability in the region.

A Glorious Period in the History of Modern Egypt and Egyptian Leaders and Soldiers

Bitterness of Defeat Led to Sweetness of Victory October War... Restoration of Dignity and Liberation of Land.