The Yom Kippur War ( also known as the Ramadan War and the October War ) was a war between Israel and a group of Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria . The Yom Kippur War , Ramadan War or October War ( ; transliterated : Milá -- emet Yom HaKipurim or -- , Milá -- emet Yom Kipur ; ; transliterated : Ä arb Aktoobar or Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ù Ù , Ä arb Tishrin ) , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War , was fought from October 6 to 25 , 1973 , between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria . The war began when the coalition launched a joint surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur , the holiest day in Judaism , which coincided with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan .