With the instability in and new threats emanating from both Egypt and Syria today, this year's remembrance of the 1973 Yom Kippur War is more poignant than ever.
Israelis were shocked and saddened on Thursday when long-classified documents of former Prime Minister Golda Meir's testimony before the commission that investigated the mistakes leading up to the Yom Kippur War were declassified.
Meir had told the commission that her cabinet was in fact not taken by surprise by the armies of Egypt and Syria, and was certain war was going to break out at least 24 hours before it did.
"My heart was drawn to a preemptive strike, but I was scared," Meir told the commission.
A preemptive strike six years earlier in the Six Day War had saved many Israeli lives and given the Jewish state a much tidier victory. The failure to act in time in 1973 resulted in over 2,500 Israelis losing their lives in the Yom Kippur War.
Could such an assault on Israel ever happen again? That remains to be seen, but with the tumultuous situation in both Egypt and Syria, and the possibility that radical forces could still win control of both countries, many fear another "Yom Kippur War" is inevitable.
Standing guard and waiting for such an eventuality are the young, brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel's literal "watchmen on the walls."
As we remember Israel's past military conflicts, let's show those who are protecting our borders and lives today that we care and appreciate their sacrifice, as well.
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