3 October 2010
Next Wednesday, Egypt marks the 37th anniversary of the October War. On that date back in 1973, which that year coincided with the Jewish Yom Kippur, the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal into the Sinai Peninsula which had been in Israeli hands since the Six Day War of June 1967. The Egyptians managed to make a breakthrough in the first Israeli defence line along the canal, the formidable Bar Lev Line, by destroying the fortified dust embankment using water canons.
Even though the October 1973 War produced no obvious winner or loser on the military front, it was a definitive day in Egyptian history. It restored Egyptian self-dignity and self-confidence, breaking forever the notion of Israeli military supremacy. Following the truce announced on 22 October that year, peace talks were launched between Egypt and Israel, leading to the historic Camp David accords in 1979. Peace finally reigned in Egypt.