In 1973 the Israelis got over their heads. If your old enough to remember then I'm sure you remember. In 1973 the Arabs attacked them during their Yom Kippur holiday and caught them by surprise. The Egyptians in particular made a brilliant maneuver to get over the Suez and into The Sinai. The Israelis were "this" close to using nukes however a massive American military airlift, and American pressure, talked them out of it. Up until that time America wasn't even close to being Israels main arms supplier. By the end of the conflict we were, and just as important, Israel has had access to Yank Intelligence gathering assets. Most folks dint know this but providing Israel with spy plane and Satellite Intel was critical in their winning the 1973 war.
In the end the Arabs ended up in the same place they ended up after the 6 day war. Surrounded and getting slaughtered. This time however there was heavy super-power involvement and the Soviets were threatening intervention, which would have triggered American action. Finally a cease fire was brokered and an even greater slaughter was averted. I believe a super-power confrontation would have escalated had not cooler heads prevailed.
I believe this war had as much impact as the 6 day war in molding modern Israel. The Jews suffered very heavy losses from an Arab military machine many times larger then they and using the most advanced Soviet weapons. Most of all anti-tank and air defense weaponry. In the end the Israelis prevailed anyways, the end result being the breakup of the Pan-Arab political dream and the eventual breakup of Egyptian/Soviet alliances. The Arabs suffered terrible losses too. Israel had an entire Egyptian army surrounded and cut off in The Sinai.
So whats going on now is nothing compared to "then". In 1973 Israel stood on the verge of annihilation. I myself dont think the invading Arabs would have shown much mercy to the civilian population.
And the Palestinians? I remember watching them dancing in the streets and passing out candy on 9/11, thinking to myself, these people just dont know when to stop screwing up their chances for a homeland. While Americans and most westerners want to see them get some justice to the Kings, military strongmen, dictators, and mullahs, of their own region they are just tools and fools to be used for their own gain.
