Lessons from Yom Kippur War Echo in Calls for Accountability After October 7

Fifty-three years after Menachem Begin's impassioned Knesset speech questioning the government's preparedness for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, millions of Israelis are asking similar questions following the October 7th Hamas attacks. Begin, in November 1973, decried the surprise and heavy cost paid by Israeli soldiers, citing ignored intelligence warnings about impending Egyptian and Syrian attacks. He advocated for a preemptive strike doctrine, termed 'national self-defense.'

Today, parallels are drawn to the perceived failures leading up to the October 7th massacre. Critics question why, despite warnings from Egypt and the UAE and ongoing intelligence, forces were not reinforced and reserves not mobilized near the Gaza border. The article highlights a stark disparity in troop deployment, with only four battalions near Gaza compared to thirty-two in Judea and Samaria, leading to the "abandonment" of western Negev residents.

The piece suggests a prevailing "conception" within the political and military leadership that viewed Hamas as an "asset" capable of hindering a future Palestinian state, a view that allegedly permeated military and intelligence circles. This approach, it argues, led to a "calculated risk" of transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas, ultimately resulting in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.

Begin's 1973 demands for government accountability are contrasted with the current lack of responsibility taken by the political echelon. The article recalls how public pressure after the Yom Kippur War led to a state inquiry and eventually the resignation of Prime Minister Golda Meir. It also notes Begin's own acceptance of full responsibility as Prime Minister for failures in the First Lebanon War, which preceded his resignation.

The author, Dr. Amir Peleg, a member of the Yad Vashem council and a resident of the Eshkol region, concludes that the decision on the nation's future path rests with the public in upcoming elections, posing whether a repeat of the 1977 "upheaval" will occur or if the current leadership will remain in power.