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Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, occurring always on Tishri 10th, corresponding with the end of September. It is a full fast day of 24 hours, observed from sunset to star-rise of the following day, in which neither food nor drink is taken, in accordance with Biblical command. It was observed in ancient times by an elaborate sacrificial ritual, in which the High Priest, representing the whole of Israel, interceded for Divine Pardon.
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The Arab-Israeli Wars were a series of wars between Israel and various Arab states in the Middle East since the founding of the state of Israel 1948. The first Arab-Israeli War occurred between the 15th of May 1948 and March 1949. As soon as the independent state of Israel had been proclaimed by the Jews, it was invaded by combined Arab forces. The Israelis defeated them and went on to annex territory until they controlled 75% of what had been Palestine under British mandate. The second Arab-Israeli War broke out on the 29th of October 1956 and lasted until the 4th of November. After Egypt had taken control of the Suez Canal and blockaded the Straits of Tiran, Israel, with British and French support, invaded and captured Sinai and the Gaza Strip, from which it withdrew under heavy US pressure after the entry of a United Nations force.
The third Arab-Israeli War (known as the Six Day War) occurred between the 5th and the 10th of June 1967. It resulted in the Israeli capture of the Golan Heights from Syria; the eastern half of Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan; and, in the south, the Gaza Strip and Sinai peninsula as far as the Suez Canal.
The fourth Arab-Israeli War (known as the 'October War' or Yom Kippur War, so called because the Israeli forces were taken by surprise on the Day of Atonement, a Jewish holy day) took place from the 6th to the 24th of October 1973. It started with the re-crossing of the Suez Canal by Egyptian forces who made initial gains, though there was some later loss of ground by the Syrians in the north. The war had 19,000 casualties.
From 1978 the presence of Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon led to Arab raids on Israel and Israeli retaliatory incursions, hostilities which are known as the fifth Arab-Israeli War, but on the 6th of June 1982 Israel launched a full-scale invasion. By the 14th of June Beirut was encircled, and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Syrian forces were evacuated (mainly to Syria) during August, but in February 1985 there was a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the country without any gain or losses incurred. Israel maintains a 'security zone' in southern Lebanon and supports the South Lebanese Army militia as a buffer against Palestinian guerrilla incursions.
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The L-33 is an Israeli 155 mm Self-Propelled Gun/Howitzer by Soltam and consists of a rebuilt Sherman M4A3E8 chassis fitted with a Cummins diesel engine, all welded fully enclosed armoured superstructure and a Soltam 155 mm M-68 gun/howitzer. The gun has an elevation of +52 degrees, depression of -3 degrees and a total traverse of 60 degrees. A total of 60 rounds of 155 mm separate loading ammunition are carried of which 16 are for ready use. The maximum range is 21000 metres. The L-33 has a crew of eight men and a loaded weight of 41500 kg. It entered service in 1973 and first saw action in the same year during the Yom Kippur War.
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The PTS is a Soviet tracked amphibious armoured vehicle first used during the 1960s and later during the Yom Kippur War by Egypt. The PTS carries a crew of two protected by armour between 6 and 10 mm thick and is powered by a V-54P diesel engine providing a top speed of 42 kmh and a range of 300 km.
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The SA-6 (Gainful) is a Soviet surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile developed in the early 1970s. The missile is carried on a tracked vehicle with a triple launcher on the roof. The SA-6 has a range of 24 km and is armed with a 56 kg warhead. The SA-6 saw action against Israeli aircraft during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
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The ZSU-23-4 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed during the 1960s as a replacement for the ZSU-57-2. The ZSU-23-4 has radar fire-control and an increased rate of fire over the ZSU-57-2, and was particularly effective with the Egyptian army during the Yom Kippur War and the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The ZSU-23-4 is manned by a crew of four and armed with four AZP-23 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon. It has a top speed of 44 kmh and a range of 260 km.
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A shofar (shophar) is a Jewish wind instrument made from a ram's horn and traditionally blown during battles to communicate signals, and more recently used at synagogue services on Rosh, Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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