The Dangers of Overconfidence

The 1973 Arab-Israeli War redefined the Arab-Israeli conflict, the shape of the Arab world and the international economic order — given that the war triggered the Arab oil embargo. It was a significant event in 20th century history. Its origins were in Israel’s victory in 1967 and its overconfidence about its ability to read the Arab mind. Like the Sept. 11 attacks, Oct. 6, 1973, began as a massive intelligence failure. Moreover, the Israeli intelligence failure shaped Arab thinking about the nature of war and the role of intelligence in it. They learned that managing the enemy’s intelligence process compensated for military weakness. It is a lesson that is still very much with us....