The Yom Kippur War has left Israel…

The Yom Kippur War has left Israel in bad economic shape.

An accelerating rate of inflation just before the conflict had been suddenly combined with a stagnant economy; prices continue to rise even as demand and production fall.

The international recession reduces demand for Israeli exports, and, for the first time in years, unemployment becomes a problem.

On top of this, Israel has become heavily indebted by arms purchases—partially offset by U.S. aid—and the country's international status suffers.

One by one, most of Israel's carefully cultivated African friends break relations under the threat of Arab oil sanctions, leaving the Jewish state alone with an equally isolated South Africa, its longtime trading partner.