The Yom Kippur War: How Israel missed the warning signs before the surprise attack - opinion

A historical analysis of the intelligence failure preceding the 1973 Yom Kippur War, focusing on Military Intelligence chief Eli Zeira's dismissal of mounting warnings. The article details how Zeira's overconfidence, refusal to activate a critical surveillance device, and suppression of field reports left Israel blind to the coordinated Egyptian-Syrian attack. It quotes Chief of Staff David Elazar telling the cabinet 'This is the first time Israel is fighting a defensive war' and later telling Defense Minister Moshe Dayan 'We cannot win this war.' The piece describes the Egyptian army's transformation with Soviet training and weapons, including Sagger anti-tank missiles and SAM antiaircraft missiles. It recounts how Zeira refused to activate a surveillance device called Special Means and blocked mobilization of intelligence reservists. The article includes the diary of Egyptian soldier Sgt. Mahmoud Nadeh and the experience of Israeli paratrooper Sgt. Yoram Krivine who observed the Syrian army massing on the Golan Heights. Zeira admitted his error in a 2025 death-bed interview at age 97.