Fundamental Surprises Zvi Lanir Decision Research 1201 Oak ...

night of October 9-10, the Shaked battalion penetrated the “Budapest”
emplacement; the advance of Brigades 14 and 27 to the water line and the
crossing were carried out on the night of October 15-16; Area 42—the
Chinese Farm—was swept in a night activity by Battalion 890 on the night of
October 16-17; missile boats were brought to the canal on the night of
October 16-17; the advancement of Brigades 401 and 464 to Adbaya was
carried out on the night of October 23-24, together with breaking through the
Egyptian formation. On the northern front, the conquest of Tel Shams by
Brigade 316 took place on the night of October 13-14.
We must also beware of exaggeration in describing Egyptian and Syrian
night fighting ability in the Yom Kippur War. The only significant
operation carried out by the Egyptians and the Syrians at night was the
continued crossing and the attack that began on the afternoon of October
6. The few nighttime commando roads were of small scope and limited
significance.
47. An interview with Dov Goldstein, Maariv, November 2 nd , 1973. The ladders
were used to climb the banks of the canal and over the brims of the
emplacements.
Chapter 4: The Evolution of Fundamental Surprise
A. The Israeli Defense Doctrine and Structure
The unique history of the creation of the state of Israel, combined with its vivid
memory of the Holocaust and the imminent fear of an Arab attack aimed at eliminating
the young and fragile state, made defense the most critical feature of Israel’s fundamental
thinking. Other dimensions of self-understanding such as creating a homeland for the
Jewish people in the Diaspora, absorbing big waves of immigration to the state and
creating one nation from them, fortifying the economy, establishing high technology
industry, and even educating the new generation—all those were conceived in terms of
their contribution to defense. Therefore, the doctrine that evolved in Israel’s reality of the
1950’s encompasses a broader and deeper meaning than what is common in other
countries.