October War Day (Harb Teshrin al-Tahririyya) is celebrated in Syria annually on October 6 – on the day when the next Arab-Israeli war began in 1973. This holiday has official state status and is associated with Syria's participation in one of the protracted conflicts of the 20th century. We are talking about the Arab-Israeli conflict, or rather – of one of the wars within the framework of this conflict, which in history received the name of the Yom Kippur War.
Arab-Israeli conflict zone – one of the «hot spots» of the 20th century in the Middle East. The specifics and history of the conflict indicate that the problem of Arab-Israeli relations cannot be considered finally resolved in the 21st century. This is due to the fact that in addition to the political reasons and prerequisites for confrontation between Israel and its neighbors – of Arab states, there is a whole tangle of contradictions of a different, deeper nature. National, religious and ethnocultural contradictions are intertwined here.
The idea of reviving the Jewish state was in the minds of many political figures long before the mid-20th century, when this plan was brought to life.
In 1947, the British-mandated territory of Palestine was divided into Arab and Jewish. The state of Israel was formed on the territory of the second. This political step was taken on the basis of a UN resolution adopted in November 1947, despite the fact that the League of Arab States declared its disagreement with such a division of Mandatory Palestine.
On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence, and the very next day the League of Arab States declared war on Israel.
In addition to the constant clashes during the interwar periods, there were five wars between Israel and Arab countries alone between 1948 and 1973. In almost all of these wars, Syria took part as an enemy of Israel.
The October War or Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6, 1973 and lasted just over two weeks, ended with another military victory for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). However, unlike previous ones, this war, which came as a surprise to Israel, was the most intense and led to heavy losses on both sides.
Stopped by a UN resolution, the October War gave the military of Syria and Egypt the opportunity to feel their ability to successfully conduct combat operations (which was confirmed by the results of the first days of the war). In addition, the Arab states, after the end of the war, used their oil capabilities to put pressure on Israel's allies by imposing an embargo on the sale of oil to them, which caused the famous oil crisis of 1973. And the severance of diplomatic relations with Israel by a number of African countries only fueled the hysteria around Arab-Israeli relations. All this contributed to the growing political crisis in Israel, although the greatest role in it was played by the suddenness of the attack by Egypt and Syria, which almost led to disaster. Thus, the political consequences of the Yom Kippur War for Israel and its allies were not easy.
The war, started by Syria and Egypt, was fought for the return of territories lost as a result of the Six-Day War in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. For Syria, this war was waged under the slogan of liberation for lost territories in the Golan Heights. And, despite the military defeat, as a result of the October War, part of the Golan Heights and the city of Quneitra were returned to Syria.
It was the fact that Syria returned part of the territories that led to the fact that October 6 became a public holiday in the Syrian Arab Republic. Public gardens and monuments in various cities, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame are dedicated to this war. The most famous monument is the memorial complex «Panorama of the October Liberation War» in Damascus.
Every year on October 6, flower-laying ceremonies are held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as the graves of heroes who fell in the war and monuments. Flags are hung on the streets, ceremonial rallies and demonstrations are held. On this day, veterans of the October War are honored, meetings with the families of the fallen and the presentation of memorable gifts to them are organized.