The Yom Kippur war was the result of accumulative tension between Israel and it's Arab neighbors. The cause of this tension between the Arab countries and Israel, Egypt and Israel to be more specific originated from the 1967, Six day War, in which Egypt lost the Sinai peninsula and Gaza Strip, Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem and Syria lost the strategic Golan Heights. This attack on Israel was one of revenge and to gain back the land that was lost from the Six Day War. Now the question that  will be answered is whether Israel's response to the Yom Kippur attack was reactive or pro active in the context of Jewish nationalism.

It all started on the 6 October 1973 the day of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, which is the day of Atonement in the jewish calendar. Many of the Israeli troops were on leave in order to celebrate their religious holiday. This was subsequently the day that the Egyptian forces attacked Israel, Egyptian troops managed to re-occupy the Sinai peninsula and the Syrian army the Golan Heights. After three days the Israeli army managed to mobilize their forces and stop Egypt in their tracks. The US came to Israel's aid, while the Soviets came to the aid of Syria and Egypt providing them with ammunition and weapons. Arab oil-producing countries then began to threaten to cut off supplies to countries that supported Israel.

The end of the war came after only three weeks of fighting when the UN and US  organized a cease fire between Israel and Egypt and Syria. This was the final major war between Israel and it's Arab neighbors.

Source: Ross, SR, 1996. Causes and Consequences of the Arab-Israeli conflict. 1st ed. USA : Raintree, Steck-Vaughn Company.

Egyptian forces crossing the Suez Canal 1973
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War