Wednesday night October 8, the holiest day within Judaism, is the beginning of Yom Kippur. In Israel, that day now has a special poignancy, a special tragic memory as exactly 35 years ago Egypt and Syria began an unprovoked war against Israel, vowing once again to eliminate the country.
Caught by surprise, the Israelis initially suffered many losses but through deadly fighting rallied and eventually drove back the Egyptians and the Syrians.
While Israelis will remember the dead in their prayers on their holy day, the Arabs have a different understanding according to Israel National News. With Arab countries throughout the Middle East marking the 35th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on his countrymen to embrace the “spirit of October,” while a Syrian newspaper called for unity among Arab nations.
Speaking on Sunday in Cairo, Mubarak called on the people of Egypt to strengthen their nation by demonstrating the victorious spirit that supposedly prevailed in Cairo during their last war with Israel. An Egyptian media outlet also called on the government to release documents about the war that have been classified up to now, in order to underscore the “great Arab victory” in 1973.
Meanwhile, the Syrian newspaper Tishrin called on the Arab nations to unite “just as they did 35 years ago.”
Alas, the sounds of peace are not heard in the land.
Share
