Israel on the Precipice: The Yom Kippur War at 50

In this opening lecture, Dr. Doran provides an overview of the major debates about the Yom Kippur War and delves into the U.S.-Israel relationship at the time, which would have a profound impact on the conflict.

In this episode, Dr. Doran compares and contrasts the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, placing a special focus on the military dimensions of each conflict. How is it that Israel, which won such a resounding victory in 1967, was nearly destroyed just six years later?

Anwar Sadat was the driving force behind the Yom Kippur War, but why did he start it in the first place? In this lecture, Dr. Doran brings viewers inside the head of Sadat; his worldview, his experiences, and his motivations for launching a surprise attack against Israel.

Dr. Doran analyzes Nixon and Kissinger's Israel policy, how it affected their view of and actions during the war, and what effect it had on the war's ultimate conclusion.

As the Israeli military moved into Syria and surrounded the Egyptians, Henry Kissinger saw an opportunity. He wanted to use the end of the war to pull Egypt away from the Soviet Union and bring it into the American camp.

In this concluding episode, Dr. Doran makes three final observations. He explains what happened in the "War of the Generals"; he underlines the importance of the War of Attrition; and he shows how the Yom Kippur War helps us understand what it really means to be a pro-Israel American leader.