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| birth_place =[[Kiev]], [[Russian Empire]] {{flagicon|Russia}}
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'''Golda Meir''' ({{lang-he|גולדה מאיר}}, {{lang-ar|جولدا مائير}}, born '''Golda Mabovitz''', [[May 3]] [[1898]] - [[December 8]] [[1978]], known as '''Golda Meyerson''' from 1917-1956) was one of the founders of the [[Israel|State of Israel]].
'''Golda Meir''' ({{lang-he|גולדה מאיר}}, {{lang-ar|جولدا مائير}}, born '''Goldie Mabovitch''', [[May 3]] [[1898]] - [[December 8]] [[1978]], '''Golda Myerson''' from 1917-1956) was the fourth prime minister of the [[Israel|State of Israel]].


Meir served as the Minister of Labour, Foreign Minister, and then as the fourth [[Prime Minister of Israel]] from [[March 17]] [[1969]] to [[June 3]] [[1974]]. As the [[BBC]] put it, Golda Meir was the "[[Iron Lady]]" of [[Politics of Israel|Israeli politics]] years before the epithet was used to describe former British prime minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/israel_at_50/profiles/81288.stm Golda Meir], a [[BBC News]] profile.</ref> [[David Ben-Gurion]], the nation's first Prime Minister, once described her as "the only man in the [[Cabinet of Israel|Cabinet]]." She was the first woman in Israel elected prime minister, and the world's third female prime minister.<ref>Female Prime Ministers before Golda Meir were [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] of Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]) and [[Indira Gandhi]] of [[India]].</ref>
After serving as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Minister, Golda Meir became [[Prime Minister of Israel]] on [[March 17]] [[1969]]. She was described as the "[[Iron Lady]]" of [[Politics of Israel|Israeli politics]] years before the epithet became associated with British prime minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/israel_at_50/profiles/81288.stm Golda Meir], a [[BBC News]] profile.</ref> [[David Ben-Gurion]], the nation's first Prime Minister, called her "the only man in the [[Cabinet of Israel|Cabinet]]." Meir was the first woman in Israel elected prime minister, and the world's third female prime minister.<ref>Female Prime Ministers before Golda Meir were [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] of Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]) and [[Indira Gandhi]] of [[India]].</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Meir was born as Golda Mabovitz ({{lang-ru|Голда Мабовиц}}) in [[Kiev]] in the [[Russian Empire]] (today [[Ukraine]]), to Blume Naidtich and Moshe Mabovitz, a lumberman. Golda wrote in her [[autobiography]] that her earliest memories were of her father boarding up the front door in response to rumors of an imminent [[pogrom]]. Life was difficult in the [[Pale of Settlement]]; she and her two sisters (Sheyna and Tzipke) were often hungry and cold. Her other five siblings died in childhood. Golda especially looked up to Sheyna. Her father left for the [[United States]] in 1903; the rest of the family stayed in [[Pinsk]]. Golda's older sister Sheyna was engaged in [[Zionism|Zionist]]-Revolutionary activity, which endangered her. The family followed Moshe to the United States in 1906. She also went to college and got a teaching degree.
Meir was born as Golda Mabovitch ({{lang-ru|Голда Мабовиц}}) in [[Kiev]] in the [[Russian Empire]] (today [[Ukraine]]), to Blume Naidtich and Moshe Mabovitch, a carpenter. Golda wrote in her [[autobiography]] that her earliest memories were of her father boarding up the front door in response to rumors of an imminent [[pogrom]]. She had two sisters, Sheyna and Tzipke. Five other siblings died in childhood. Golda was especially close to Sheyna. Moshe Mabovitch left for the [[United States]] in 1903 and the family followed in 1906. <ref>http://www.ajhs.org/publications/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=272</ref>


===Emigration to the United States, 1906===
==Emigration to the United States==
The family settled in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]]. There, Golda's father worked as a carpenter, and her mother ran a grocery store. When Golda was only eight years old, she had to oversee the store for a short time each morning while her mother bought supplies at the market.
The family settled in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], where her father found a job as a carpenter and her mother ran a grocery store. At the age of eight, she was already put in charge of watching the store when her mother went to the market for supplies.


Golda Meir attended the Fourth Street School (now [[Golda Meir School]]) across from the [[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company|Schlitz Brewing Complex]] from 1906 to 1912. It was here that Golda undertook her first public works project, by organizing a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. After forming the American Young Sisters Society, she rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event. Despite not having known [[English language|English]] upon entry, Golda graduated as [[valedictorian]] of her class.
Golda attended the Fourth Street School (now [[Golda Meir School]]) across from the [[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company|Schlitz Brewing Complex]] from 1906 to 1912. A leader early on, Golda organized a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. After forming the American Young Sisters Society, she rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event. When she began school, she did not know English, but she graduated as [[valedictorian]] of her class.
[[Image:1914 Golda in Milwaukee.jpg|120px|thumb|Golda in Milwaukee, 1914]]
At 14, she went to North Division High School and worked part-time. Her mother wanted her to leave school and marry, but she rebelled. She bought a train ticket to [[Denver, Colorado]], and went to live with her married sister, Sheyna Korngold. The Korngolds held intellectual evenings at their home where Meir was exposed to debates on Zionism, literature, women's sufferage, trade unionism and more. In her autobiography, she wrote: "To the extent that my own future convictions were shaped and given form...those talk-filled nights in Denver played a considerable role." In Denver, she also met Morris Myerson, a sign painter, whom she married at the age of 19. <ref>http://www.mscd.edu/~golda/Norm%20Stuff/GOLDA%20MEIR%20OUTLINE.html</ref>


In 1913, Golda returned to her high school in Milwaukee, graduating in 1915. While there, she became an active member of the [[Zionist youth movement]], Habonim (now [[Habonim Dror]]). She spoke at public meetings, embraced [[Labour Zionism|Socialist Zionism]] and hosted visitors from [[Palestine]].
[[Image:1914 Golda in Milwaukee.jpg|120px|thumb|1914 photo]]
When Golda was 14, she began attending North Division High School and took part-time jobs to pay expenses. Her mother suggested that she give up school for work and to marry. Golda rebelled and ran away to [[Denver, Colorado]], where her older sister, Sheyna, was living. She stayed for about a year in a duplex at 1606 Julian Street. Golda attended North High School there and met Morris Meyerson, a sign painter, whom she would later marry.


After graduating from the [[Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee|Milwaukee State Normal School]] (a predecessor of the [[University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee]]), she taught in public schools. She formally joined the Labour Zionist Organization in 1915.
In 1913, Golda returned to Milwaukee and re-enrolled at North Division, graduating in 1915. While there, she was an active member of the [[Zionist youth movement]], Habonim (now [[Habonim Dror]]). She spoke at public meetings and often advocated for [[Labour Zionism|Socialist Zionism]] in her speeches. Often she hosted visitors from [[Palestine]].


Golda and Morris married in 1917 and began planning to make [[aliyah]] (immigration to the [[Land of Israel]], then a part of the [[Ottoman Empire]]). They made the move to Palestine in 1921, together with Golda's sister Sheyna.
Upon her graduation from the [[Wisconsin State College of Milwaukee|Milwaukee State Normal School]] (a predecessor of the [[University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee]]), she taught in public schools. She formally joined the Labour Zionist Organization in 1915.


==Aliyah to Palestine==
Golda and Morris married in 1917 and began planning to make [[aliyah]] (emigration to the [[Land of Israel]], then a part of the [[Ottoman Empire]]). The couple, together with Golda's elder sister Sheyna, emigrated to Palestine in 1921.
[[Image:Golda working in kibbutz Merhavia1.jpg|thumb|162px|Golda Meir in the fields at Kibbutz Merhavya]]


In Palestine, the couple decided to join a [[kibbutz]]. Their first application, to Kibbutz Merhavya in the [[Jezreel Valley]], was rejected, but this decision was later overturned. Golda's duties included picking [[almond]]s, planting trees, working in the chicken coops and running the kitchen. Recognizing her leadership abilities, the kibbutz chose her as its representative to the [[Histadrut]], the General Federation of Labour. In 1924, Golda and her husband left the kibbutz life and lived briefly in [[Tel Aviv]] before settling in [[Jerusalem]]. There they had two children, a son Menachem (born 1924) and a daughter Sarah (born 1926). In 1928, Golda was elected secretary of ''Moetzet HaPoalot'' (Working Women's Council), which required her to spend two years (1932-34) as an emissary in the [[United States]]. <ref> Golda Meir, ''Encyclopedia of Zionism and Israel'', ed. Raphael Patai, New York, 1971, vol.II, pp. 776-777</ref> The children went with her, but Morris stayed in Jerusalem. Morris and Golda grew apart but never divorced. Morris died in 1951.
==Emigration to Palestine, 1921==
[[Image:Golda working in kibbutz Merhavia1.jpg|thumb|162px|Golda Meir working in kibbutz Merhavia]]


==Histadrut activities==
In 1921, Golda and her husband, [[Morris Myerson]], emigrated to [[British Mandate of Palestine|Mandate Palestine]] to help find a Jewish state. Golda and Morris wanted to join a [[kibbutz]]. She applied to join Kibbutz [[Merhavia]] and was turned down at first, but eventually was accepted into the community. Her duties there included picking [[almond]]s, planting trees, caring for chickens, and running the kitchen. She also began to emerge as a leader. Her kibbutz chose her to represent them at [[Histadrut]], the General Federation of Labour. By 1924, her husband had grown tired of the kibbutz life and the couple left.
In 1934, when Meir returned from the United States, she joined the Executive Committee of the Histadrut and moved up the ranks to become head of its Political Department. This appointment was important training for her future role in Israeli leadership.<ref> "Golda Meir," ''Encyclopedia Judaica,'' Keter, 1972, Jerusalem, vol. 11, pp. 1242-1245</ref>
==Pre-state political role==
In June 1946, the British cracked down on the Zionist movement in Palestine, arresting many leaders of the Jewish [[Yishuv]]. Meir took over as acting head of the Political Department of the [[Jewish Agency]] during the incarceration of [[Moshe Sharett]]. Thus she became the principal negotiator between the Jews in Palestine and the British Mandatory authorities. After his release, Sharett went to the United States to attend talks on the [[UN Partition Plan]], leaving Meir to head the Political Department until the establishment of the state in 1948.<ref> "Golda Meir," ''Encyclopedia Judaica,'' Keter, 1972, Jerusalem, vol. 11, pp. 1242-1245</ref>


On May 10, 1948, four days before the official establishment of the state, Meir traveled to [[Amman]] disguised as an Arab woman for a secret meeting with [[King Abdullah]] of [[TransJordan]] at which she urged him not to join the other Arab countries in attacking the Jews. Abdullah asked her not to hurry to proclaim a state. Golda, known for her ascerbic wit, replied: "We've been waiting for 2,000 years. Is that hurrying?" <ref>{{cite news
They lived briefly in [[Tel Aviv]] before settling in [[Jerusalem]]. There they had two children, a son Menachem (born 1924) and a daughter Sarah (born 1926). In 1928, Golda was elected secretary of the Women's Labour Council of Histadrut. This required her to move to Tel Aviv; the children went with her though Morris stayed in Jerusalem. Morris and Golda grew apart but never divorced. Morris died in 1951.
| title = Golda Meir: Peace and Arab Acceptance Were Goals of Her 5 Years as Premier

| publisher = [[The New York Times]]
She grew increasingly influential in Histadrut, which evolved into a shadow government for the yet-to-be-born nation of Israel. In 1946, the British cracked down on the Zionist movement in Palestine, arresting many of its leaders, though Golda was never arrested. She gradually took charge of the organization. She negotiated with the British while keeping in contact with the growing guerrilla movement.
| date = [[1978-12-09]]

| url = http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0503.html}}</ref>
==Israel established, 1948==
==Ministerial positions==
[[Image:19480910 Kremlin Israeli amb Meir hands cert.jpg|thumb|right|[[September 10]] [[1948]]. Ceremony in [[Kremlin]] of the first Israeli ambassador Golda Meir handing certificates to the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] officials.]]
[[Image:19480910 Kremlin Israeli amb Meir hands cert.jpg|thumb|right|Ambassador Golda Meir presenting her credentials at the [[Kremlin]], September 10, 1948]]

Golda Meir was one of twenty-four people (and one of only two women) who signed the [[Declaration of Independence (Israel)|Israeli declaration of independence]] on [[May 14]] [[1948]]. She later recalled, "After I signed, I cried. When I studied American history as a schoolgirl and I read about those who signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], I couldn't imagine these were real people doing something real. And there I was sitting down and signing a declaration of establishment."
Meir was one of twenty-four signatories (two of them women) of the [[Declaration of Independence (Israel)|Israeli declaration of independence]] on [[May 14]] [[1948]]. She later recalled, "After I signed, I cried. When I studied American history as a schoolgirl and I read about those who signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], I couldn't imagine these were real people doing something real. And there I was sitting down and signing a declaration of establishment."


Israel was attacked the next day by joint forces from [[Egypt]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Transjordan]], and [[Iraq]] in the Israeli War of Independence, otherwise known as the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]]. Meir was issued with Israel's first passport,<ref>[http://www.emeryweiner.org/cmtpages.php?file_name=goldacircle&link_id=294&preview=A Golda] ''(Emery/Weiner School)''</ref><ref>
Israel was attacked the next day by the joint armies of [[Egypt]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Transjordan]], and [[Iraq]] in the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War|Israeli War of Independence]]. Armed with the first Israeli-issued passport, <ref>[http://www.emeryweiner.org/cmtpages.php?file_name=goldacircle&link_id=294&preview=A Golda] ''(Emery/Weiner School)''</ref><ref>
[http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/26398/edition_id/509/format/html/displaystory.html Golda Meir’s life was devoted to building Zionism] by Dan Pine (Jewish SF, July 15, 2005)</ref>
[http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/26398/edition_id/509/format/html/displaystory.html Golda Meir’s life was devoted to building Zionism] by Dan Pine (Jewish SF, July 15, 2005)</ref>
and went to the United States to raise money for the fledgling nation.
Golda was sent to the United States to raise money for the new state.
===Ambassador to Moscow===
Upon returning from the United States, Meir was appointed Israel's first ambassador to the [[Soviet Union]]. During her brief stint there, which ended in 1949, she attended high holiday services at the synagogue in [[Moscow]], where she was mobbed by thousands of [[History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union|Russian Jews]] chanting her name. Despite [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]'s repression of Jewish identity in the Soviet Union, the turnout showed that the Jewish community was still strong and united. The Israeli 10,000 [[shekel]] banknote issued in November 1984 bore a portrait of Golda on one side and the image of the crowd that turned out to cheer her in Moscow, on the other<ref>http://www.iasps.org/nbn/nbn353.htm</ref> [[Image:1948 Golda in Moscow crowd.jpg|right|thumb|Jewish [[High Holidays]] in Moscow, 1948: Golda Meir in the crowd (est. 50,000) of Soviet Jews who gathered to meet her]]
===Labor minister===
In 1949, Meir was elected to the [[Knesset]] as a member of [[Mapai]] and served continuously until 1974. From 1949 to 1956, she served as Minister of Labor, introducing major housing and road construction projects. <ref> ''Golda Meir,'' Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762</ref>
===Foreign minister===
In 1956, she became [[Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel|Foreign Minister]] under Prime Minister [[David Ben-Gurion]]. Her predecessor, [[Moshe Sharett]], had asked all members of the foreign service to [[Hebraicize]] their last names. Upon her appointment as foreign minister, she shortened "Myerson" to "Meir," which means "illuminate."


As foreign minister, Meir promoted ties with the newly-established states in Africa in an effort to gain allies in the international community. <ref> ''Golda Meir,'' Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762</ref>But she also believed that Israel had experience in nation-building that could be a model for the Africans. In her autobiography, she wrote: "Like them, we had shaken off foreign rule; like them, we had to learn for ourselves how to reclaim the land, how to increase the yields of our crops, how to irrigate, how to raise poultry, how to live together, and how to defend ourselves." Israel could be a role model because it "had been forced to find solutions to the kinds of problems that large, wealthy, powerful states had never encountered." <ref>Golda Meir, ''My Life,'' (NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1975), pp. 308-309</ref>
Meir was assigned to be the first ambassador to the [[Soviet Union]] when she returned from the U.S. She served there briefly, leaving in 1949. During her stay in [[Moscow]] she attended high holiday services and was mobbed by thousands of [[History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union|Russian Jews]] chanting her name; [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]'s repression of Jewish identity in the Soviet Union made many observers wonder whether there was still a strong sense of community, but the crowd's welcoming treatment provided the answer. The picture on the back of Meir's Israeli [[Israeli sheqel|shekel]] banknote is that of the crowd in Moscow surrounding her and lifting her in happiness. She then entered the [[Knesset]] as a member of [[Mapai]] and served continuously until 1974.
[[Image:1948 Golda in Moscow crowd.jpg|right|thumb|Jewish [[High Holidays]] in Moscow, 1948: Golda Meir in the crowd (est. 50,000) of Soviet Jews who gathered to meet her]]


In the early 1960s, Meir was diagnosed with [[lymphoma]]. In January 1966, she retired from the Foreign Ministry, citing exhaustion and ill health, but soon returned to public life as secretary general of Mapai, supporting the prime minister, [[Levi Eshkol]], in party conflicts. <ref> ''Golda Meir,'' Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762</ref>
==Political life prior to becoming Prime Minister==
From 1949 to 1956, Meir served as Minister of Labor. In 1956, she became [[Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel|Foreign Minister]] under Prime Minister [[David Ben-Gurion]]. The previous Foreign Minister, [[Moshe Sharett]], had ordered that all members of the foreign service Hebraicize their last names. Golda had ignored that order as ambassador, but now that she was becoming Foreign Minister herself, Ben-Gurion asked Golda to change her name to a [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] name. She chose Meir, meaning ''"illuminate."''


==Prime Ministership==
In the early 1960s, Meir was diagnosed with [[lymphoma]], which she concealed, concerned that others might deem her unfit for service. She resigned from the [[Cabinet of Israel|cabinet]] in 1965, citing illness and exhaustion from her years of service. At first, she returned to her modest life, but was soon called back into service. She served as Secretary General of the newly-created [[Alignment (political party)|Alignment]] for eight months and retired again on [[August 1]] [[1968]].
After Levi Eshkol's sudden death on [[February 26]] [[1969]], the party elected Meir as his successor. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/7/newsid_4205000/4205843.stm</ref>Meir came out of retirement to take office on March 17, 1969, serving as prime minister until 1974. Meir maintained the coalition government formed in 1967, after the [[Six Day War]], in which Mapai merged with two other parties ([[Rafi]] and Ahdut HaAvoda) to form the Israel Labor party. <ref> ''Golda Meir,'' Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762</ref>


In 1969 and the early 1970s, Meir met with many world leaders to promote her vision of peace in the Middle East, including [[Richard Nixon]](1969), [[Nicolae Ceausescu]] (1972) and [[Pope Paul VI]] (1973). In 1973, she hosted the chancellor of Germany, [[Willy Brandt]] in Israel. <ref> ''Golda Meir,'' Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762</ref>
==Prime Minister==
After [[Levi Eshkol]] died suddenly on [[February 26]] [[1969]], the party chose Meir to succeed him as Prime Minister. Meir came out of retirement to take office on [[March 17]] and served as Prime Minister until 1974. When Meir took office, Israel was brimming with confidence, having won a decisive victory in the ongoing [[Arab-Israeli conflict]] and capturing large areas of territory in the [[Six-Day War]]. Nonetheless, Meir had to deal with the continuing Egyptian shelling of Israeli forces along the [[Suez Canal]] in the [[War of Attrition]].


In August 1970, Meir accepted a U.S. peace initiative that called for an end to the [[War of Attrition]] and an Israeli pledge to withdraw to "secure and recognized boundaries" in the framework of a comprehensive peace settlement. The [[Gahal]] party quit the national unity government in protest, but Meir continued to lead the remaining coalition.<ref>''Golda Meir'' Encyclopedia Judaica, Keter, Jerusalem, 1972, p. 1242-1244</ref>
===Case of Meyer Lansky===
Seeking to avoid the [[United States Department of Justice]], underworld kingpin [[Meyer Lansky]] applied for [[Israeli nationality law|citizenship in Israel]]. According to reports, while his case was being presented to Prime Minister Meir, at the mention of the word "[[Mafia]]," Meir is said to have stopped the speaker, interjecting "Mafia? Mafia? No Mafia." Lansky eventually ended up back in the U.S. to face charges.


===Operation Wrath of God===
===Munich Olympics===
{{main|Operation Wrath of God}}
{{main|Operation Wrath of God}}
Following the [[Munich massacre]] at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]], Meir appealed to the world to "save our citizens and condemn the unspeakable criminal acts committed."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/campaigns/middle_east/midmun.xml Hostages killed in gun battle] Daily Telegraph, 5 September 1972</ref> Meir and the Israeli Defense Committee felt that the world did not adequately respond, and therefore authorized the [[Mossad]] to kill [[Black September (group)|Black September]] and [[PFLP]] (Operation Bayonet) operatives wherever they could be found (Morris 1999). The 1986 TV film ''[[Sword of Gideon]]'', based on the book ''[[Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team]]'' by [[George Jonas]], and [[Steven Spielberg]]'s subsequent movie ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]'' (2005) were loosely based on these events.
In the wake of the [[Munich massacre]] at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]], Meir appealed to the world to "save our citizens and condemn the unspeakable criminal acts committed."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/campaigns/middle_east/midmun.xml Hostages killed in gun battle] Daily Telegraph, 5 September 1972</ref> Outraged at the lack of global action, she authorized the [[Mossad]] to hunt down and assassinate the [[Black September (group)|Black September]] and [[PFLP]] operatives who took part in the massacre <ref>{{cite book
| last = Morris
| first = B.
| title = Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab conflict, 1881–2000
| publisher = [[Vintage Books]]
| year = 1999, 2001
| location = New York
| id = ISBN 0-679-74475-4}}</ref> The 1986 TV film ''[[Sword of Gideon]]'', based on the book ''[[Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team]]'' by [[George Jonas]], and [[Steven Spielberg]]'s movie ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]'' (2005) were loosely based on these events.


===1973 Yom Kippur War===
===Yom Kippur War===
[[Image:Golda Sculpture.jpg|thumb|150px|right|A sculpture of Golda Meir at the [[Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum]], California]]
In the leadup to the [[Yom Kippur War]], Israeli intelligence was not able to determine conclusively that an attack was imminent until the day before the war began. Six hours before the outbreak of hostilities, Meir met with Minister of Defense [[Moshe Dayan]] and general [[David Elazar]]. While Dayan continued to argue that war was unlikely, Elazar advocated launching a pre-emptive strike on [[Syria]]n forces.
In the days leading up to the [[Yom Kippur War]], Israeli intelligence was not able to determine conclusively that an attack was imminent. Six hours before the outbreak of hostilities, Meir met with Minister of Defense [[Moshe Dayan]] and general [[David Elazar]]. While Dayan continued to argue that war was unlikely, Elazar advocated launching a pre-emptive strike on [[Syria]]n forces.


Meir believed that Israel could not depend on European countries to supply Israel with military equipment, and that as a result, the only country who could come to Israel's assistance would be the [[Israel-United States relations|United States]]. Fearing that the U.S. would be wary of intervening if Israel were perceived as initiating the hostilities, Meir finally decided against launching a pre-emptive strike. In hindsight, this was apparently a wise decision; then-U.S. Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]] later confirmed Meir's assessment by stating that if Israel had launched a pre-emptive strike, Israel would not have received "so much as a nail". Meir's decision may have been crucial in making [[Operation Nickel Grass]] politically feasible for the United States.
Meir believed that Israel could not depend on European countries to supply Israel with military equipment and the only country that might come to Israel's assistance was the [[Israel-United States relations|United States]]. Fearing that the U.S. would be wary of intervening if Israel were perceived as initiating the hostilities, Meir decided against a pre-emptive strike. In hindsight, this was a wise decision; then-U.S. Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]] later confirmed Meir's assessment by stating that if Israel had launched a pre-emptive strike, Israel would not have received "so much as a nail."


===Resignation===
===Resignation===
[[Image:Golda Meir grave.JPG|thumb|150px|Golda Meir's grave on Mt. Herzl]]
Following the Yom Kippur War, Meir's government was distracted by internal squabbles among the governing coalition and had to face serious questions over strategic misjudgments as well as the general lack of leadership that resulted in inadequate preparedness at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War. On [[April 11]] [[1974]], Golda Meir resigned as prime minister, and she was succeeded by [[Yitzhak Rabin]] on [[June 3]] [[1974]].
Following the Yom Kippur War, Meir's government was plagued by in-fighting and questions over Israel's lack of preparedness for the war. The [[Agranat Commission]] appointed to investigate the war cleared her of direct responsibility, and her party won the elections in December 1973, but she resigned on [[April 11]] [[1974]], bowing to what she felt was the "will of the people." <ref>http://www.zionism-israel.com/bio/golda_meir_biography.htm</ref>[[Yitzhak Rabin]] succeeded her on [[June 3]] [[1974]].


On [[December 8]] [[1978]], Golda Meir died of [[cancer]] in [[Jerusalem]] at the age of 80. She was buried on [[Mount Herzl]] in Jerusalem on [[December 12]].
On [[December 8]] [[1978]], Golda Meir died of [[cancer]] in [[Jerusalem]] at the age of 80. She was buried on [[Mount Herzl]] in Jerusalem on [[December 12]], 1978.


==Portrayals==
==Portrayals in film and theater==
Golda Meir's story has been the subject of many fictionalized portrayals over the years. She has been portrayed by actresses as diverse as Swede [[Ingrid Bergman]] and Australian [[Judy Davis]] in the [[made-for-television|television]] film ''[[A Woman Called Golda]]'' (1982), and the [[American Jews|Jewish-American]] [[Tovah Feldshuh]] on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] (she also played Meir later in [[O Jerusalem (film)]].) The Broadway show about her was mildly controversial in that it improbably suggested that Meir considered using [[Nuclear weapons and Israel|nuclear armaments]] during the Yom Kippur War. In 1977 she was portrayed by [[Anne Bancroft]] on Broadway in [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]]'s play ''Golda''.
Golda Meir's story has been the subject of many fictionalized portrayals over the years. [[Ingrid Bergman]] and the Australian actress [[Judy Davis]] played Meir in the [[made-for-television|television]] film ''[[A Woman Called Golda]]'' (1982). The [[American Jewish]] actress [[Tovah Feldshuh]] portrayed her on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and in the film [[O Jerusalem]]. The Broadway show was controversial in its implication that Meir considered using [[Nuclear weapons and Israel|nuclear weapons]] during the Yom Kippur War. In 1977, [[Anne Bancroft]] played Meir in [[William Gibson (playwright)|William Gibson]]'s play ''Golda,'' also performed on Broadway. In 2005, she was played by actress [[Lynn Cohen]] in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s film ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]].'' [[Valerie Harper]] portrayed her in William Gibson's play ''[[Golda's Balcony]],'' which toured North American cities in 2005 and 2006.<ref>Review of Golda's Balcony http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=7583</ref>


==Quotes==
Most recently, she was played by actress [[Lynn Cohen]] in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 2005 film ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]''. She is also portrayed by [[Valerie Harper]] in William Gibson's play ''[[Golda's Balcony]]'', touring various North American cities in 2005 and 2006.
*"The Muslims can fight and lose, then come back and fight again. But Israel can only lose once."
*"There were no such thing as Palestinians. When was there an independent Palestinian people with a Palestinian state? It was either southern Syria before the First World War, and then it was a Palestine including Jordan. It was not as though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine considering itself as a Palestinian people and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist." (''Sunday Times'', June 15, 1969)


==Notes==
==Commemoration==
*Golda Meir Center for Political Leadership at [[Metropolitan State College of Denver]] <ref>[http://www.mscd.edu/~golda</ref>
{{Reflist}}
*Golda Meir House, Denver, Colorado <ref>http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.co0203 U.S. Library of Congress</ref><ref>http://www.mscd.edu/~golda/</ref>
*Golda Meir School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin <ref>http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1434</ref>
*[[Golda Meir Library]]
*Golda Meir Boulevard, Jerusalem, Israel
*Golda Meir Center for the Performing Arts, Tel Aviv


==Miscellaneous==
==Published Work==
*''This is Our Strength'' (1962) - Golda Meir's collected papers
{{Trivia|date=September 2007}}
*''My Father's House'' (1972)
* Meir was the first former [[United States|American]] citizen to become Prime Minister of Israel. In [[1996]], [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] -- also a former American citizen -- was elected prime minister<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/sept96gordon.htm "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu", Neve Gordon]</ref>.
* {{cite book
* Meir was allegedly the second female head of government to oversee the development of a [[Nuclear weapons and Israel|nuclear weapons]] program. She was preceded by [[Indira Gandhi]] (who took office in 1966) and followed by [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[Benazir Bhutto]].
| last = Meir
[[Image:Golda Sculpture.jpg|thumb|150px|right|A sculpture of Golda Meir at the [[Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum]] in Yorba Linda, California, United States{{3d glasses}}]]
| first = Golda
* Meir on her view of Israel's position in the Middle East: "The Muslims can fight and lose, then come back and fight again. But Israel can only lose once."
| title = My Life
* In an interview published on 1969-06-15, the Sunday Times quoted her saying: "There were no such thing as Palestinians. When was there an independent Palestinian people with a Palestinian state? It was either southern Syria before the First World War, and then it was a Palestine including Jordan. It was not as though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine considering itself as a Palestinian people and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist."
| publisher = [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]]
* "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us." Sometimes cited as a statement to the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. in 1957. This seems the most widely quoted of many variants, and the only widely cited original source, but a more specific date is needed here. There are also indications that this statement was made in 1972, which might be a more likely date.
| year = 1975
* Prime Minister Meir was a [[chain smoker]], smoking well into her 70's.
| id = ISBN 0-399-11669-9}}


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Evian Conference]]
*[[Evian Conference]]
*[[Golda Meir Library]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
===News articles===

* {{cite news
| title = Golda Meir: Peace and Arab Acceptance Were Goals of Her 5 Years as Premier
| publisher = [[The New York Times]]
| date = [[1978-12-09]]
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0503.html}}


===Biographies===
===Biographies===
Line 138: Line 157:
| year = 1988
| year = 1988
| id = ISBN 0-8041-0536-7}}
| id = ISBN 0-8041-0536-7}}
* {{cite book
| last = Meir
| first = Golda
| title = My Life
| publisher = [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]]
| year = 1975
| id = ISBN 0-399-11669-9}}
* {{cite book
* {{cite book
| last = Meir
| last = Meir
Line 152: Line 164:
| year = 1983
| year = 1983
| id = ISBN 0-87795-415-1}}
| id = ISBN 0-87795-415-1}}
* {{cite book
| last = Morris
| first = B.
| title = Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab conflict, 1881–2000
| publisher = [[Vintage Books]]
| year = 1999, 2001
| location = New York
| id = ISBN 0-679-74475-4}}
* {{cite book
* {{cite book
| last = Syrkin
| last = Syrkin
Line 166: Line 170:
| publisher = [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]]
| publisher = [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]]
| year = 1969
| year = 1969
| id = ASIN B0006CPEIU}}
| id = }}
* {{cite book
| last = Syrkin
| first = Marie
| title = Golda Meir: Woman with a Cause
| publisher =
| year = 1963
| id = }}


==External links==
==External links==
{{sisterlinks}}
===Profiles===
===Profiles===
*[http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Government/Memorial/PrimeMinisters/Golda.htm Prime Minister Golda Meir] — Israeli Prime Minister's Office
* http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Government/Memorial/PrimeMinisters/Golda.htm Prime Minister Golda Meir] — Israeli Prime Minister's Office
*[http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=685 Knesset Member, Golda Meir] — Knesset profile
*[http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=685 Knesset Member, Golda Meir] — Knesset profile

===Biographies===
*[http://www.ajhs.org/publications/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=272 Golda Meir's American Roots] — [[American Jewish Historical Society]]
*[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts%20About%20Israel/State/Golda%20Meir Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
*[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts%20About%20Israel/State/Golda%20Meir Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
*[http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/golda.html Jewish Agency For Israel]
*[http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/golda.html Jewish Agency For Israel]
*[http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com/sample-articles/article_view.php?sid=golda-meir Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd edition]
*[http://www.encyclopaediajudaica.com/sample-articles/article_view.php?sid=golda-meir Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd edition]
*[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/meir.html Jewish Virtual Library]
*[http://www.ou.org/Chagim/yomhaatzmauth/golda.html Orthodox Union]
*[http://www.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/Golda/index.html Picturing Golda Meir] — Photographs from the Collection at the [[University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee|UWM]] Libraries
*[http://www.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/Golda/index.html Picturing Golda Meir] — Photographs from the Collection at the [[University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee|UWM]] Libraries
*[http://www.wic.org/bio/gmeir.htm Women's International Center]
*[http://www.wic.org/bio/gmeir.htm Women's International Center]


===Documents===
===Documents===
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/7/newsid_4205000/4205843.stm Israel elects first female leader] — [[BBC News]]
*[http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreign%20relations/israels%20foreign%20relations%20since%201947/1947-1974/table%20of%20contents#xiii Yom Kippur War: Selected Documents] — Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
*[http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreign%20relations/israels%20foreign%20relations%20since%201947/1947-1974/table%20of%20contents#xiii Yom Kippur War: Selected Documents] — Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs


===Other===
===Quotes===
*[http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Golda_Meir Quotes by Golda Meir] — Listing of various quotes by Golda Meir
*[http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Golda_Meir Quotes by Golda Meir] — Listing of various quotes by Golda Meir
*[http://www.mscd.edu/~golda Golda Meir Center for Political Leadership] — [[Metropolitan State College of Denver]]
*[http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.co0203 U.S. Library of Congress] — Golda Meir House, Denver, Colorado
*[http://www.goldasbalcony.com Golda's Balcony] — Official site of the touring production


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{{IsraelPMS}}
{{IsraelPMS}}
{{Israeli Ministers of Justice}}
{{IsraelForeignMin}}
{{IsraelForeignMin}}


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[[Category:Cancer deaths]]
[[Category:Cancer deaths]]
[[Category:Cold War leaders]]
[[Category:Cold War leaders]]
[[Category:Female diplomats]]
[[Category:Female heads of government]]
[[Category:Female heads of government]]
[[Category:Former Members of the Knesset]]
[[Category:Former Members of the Knesset]]

Revision as of 22:53, 8 December 2007

Golda Meir
גּוֹלְדָּה מֵאִיר
جولدا مائير
4th Prime Minister of Israel
In office
March 17 1969 – June 3 1974
Preceded byLevi Eshkol
Succeeded byYitzhak Rabin
2nd Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel
In office
1956–1966
Preceded byMoshe Sharett
Succeeded byAbba Eban
Personal details
Born(1898-05-03)May 3, 1898
Kiev, Russian Empire
DiedDecember 8, 1978(1978-12-08) (aged 80)
Jerusalem, Israel
Political partyMapai, Alignment

Golda Meir (Hebrew: גולדה מאיר, Arabic: جولدا مائير, born Goldie Mabovitch, May 3 1898 - December 8 1978, Golda Myerson from 1917-1956) was the fourth prime minister of the State of Israel.

After serving as the Minister of Labour and Foreign Minister, Golda Meir became Prime Minister of Israel on March 17 1969. She was described as the "Iron Lady" of Israeli politics years before the epithet became associated with British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.[1] David Ben-Gurion, the nation's first Prime Minister, called her "the only man in the Cabinet." Meir was the first woman in Israel elected prime minister, and the world's third female prime minister.[2]

Early life

Meir was born as Golda Mabovitch (Russian: Голда Мабовиц) in Kiev in the Russian Empire (today Ukraine), to Blume Naidtich and Moshe Mabovitch, a carpenter. Golda wrote in her autobiography that her earliest memories were of her father boarding up the front door in response to rumors of an imminent pogrom. She had two sisters, Sheyna and Tzipke. Five other siblings died in childhood. Golda was especially close to Sheyna. Moshe Mabovitch left for the United States in 1903 and the family followed in 1906. [3]

Emigration to the United States

The family settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where her father found a job as a carpenter and her mother ran a grocery store. At the age of eight, she was already put in charge of watching the store when her mother went to the market for supplies.

Golda attended the Fourth Street School (now Golda Meir School) across from the Schlitz Brewing Complex from 1906 to 1912. A leader early on, Golda organized a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. After forming the American Young Sisters Society, she rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event. When she began school, she did not know English, but she graduated as valedictorian of her class.

Golda in Milwaukee, 1914

At 14, she went to North Division High School and worked part-time. Her mother wanted her to leave school and marry, but she rebelled. She bought a train ticket to Denver, Colorado, and went to live with her married sister, Sheyna Korngold. The Korngolds held intellectual evenings at their home where Meir was exposed to debates on Zionism, literature, women's sufferage, trade unionism and more. In her autobiography, she wrote: "To the extent that my own future convictions were shaped and given form...those talk-filled nights in Denver played a considerable role." In Denver, she also met Morris Myerson, a sign painter, whom she married at the age of 19. [4]

In 1913, Golda returned to her high school in Milwaukee, graduating in 1915. While there, she became an active member of the Zionist youth movement, Habonim (now Habonim Dror). She spoke at public meetings, embraced Socialist Zionism and hosted visitors from Palestine.

After graduating from the Milwaukee State Normal School (a predecessor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), she taught in public schools. She formally joined the Labour Zionist Organization in 1915.

Golda and Morris married in 1917 and began planning to make aliyah (immigration to the Land of Israel, then a part of the Ottoman Empire). They made the move to Palestine in 1921, together with Golda's sister Sheyna.

Aliyah to Palestine

Golda Meir in the fields at Kibbutz Merhavya

In Palestine, the couple decided to join a kibbutz. Their first application, to Kibbutz Merhavya in the Jezreel Valley, was rejected, but this decision was later overturned. Golda's duties included picking almonds, planting trees, working in the chicken coops and running the kitchen. Recognizing her leadership abilities, the kibbutz chose her as its representative to the Histadrut, the General Federation of Labour. In 1924, Golda and her husband left the kibbutz life and lived briefly in Tel Aviv before settling in Jerusalem. There they had two children, a son Menachem (born 1924) and a daughter Sarah (born 1926). In 1928, Golda was elected secretary of Moetzet HaPoalot (Working Women's Council), which required her to spend two years (1932-34) as an emissary in the United States. [5] The children went with her, but Morris stayed in Jerusalem. Morris and Golda grew apart but never divorced. Morris died in 1951.

Histadrut activities

In 1934, when Meir returned from the United States, she joined the Executive Committee of the Histadrut and moved up the ranks to become head of its Political Department. This appointment was important training for her future role in Israeli leadership.[6]

Pre-state political role

In June 1946, the British cracked down on the Zionist movement in Palestine, arresting many leaders of the Jewish Yishuv. Meir took over as acting head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency during the incarceration of Moshe Sharett. Thus she became the principal negotiator between the Jews in Palestine and the British Mandatory authorities. After his release, Sharett went to the United States to attend talks on the UN Partition Plan, leaving Meir to head the Political Department until the establishment of the state in 1948.[7]

On May 10, 1948, four days before the official establishment of the state, Meir traveled to Amman disguised as an Arab woman for a secret meeting with King Abdullah of TransJordan at which she urged him not to join the other Arab countries in attacking the Jews. Abdullah asked her not to hurry to proclaim a state. Golda, known for her ascerbic wit, replied: "We've been waiting for 2,000 years. Is that hurrying?" [8]

Ministerial positions

File:19480910 Kremlin Israeli amb Meir hands cert.jpg
Ambassador Golda Meir presenting her credentials at the Kremlin, September 10, 1948

Meir was one of twenty-four signatories (two of them women) of the Israeli declaration of independence on May 14 1948. She later recalled, "After I signed, I cried. When I studied American history as a schoolgirl and I read about those who signed the Declaration of Independence, I couldn't imagine these were real people doing something real. And there I was sitting down and signing a declaration of establishment."

Israel was attacked the next day by the joint armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan, and Iraq in the Israeli War of Independence. Armed with the first Israeli-issued passport, [9][10] Golda was sent to the United States to raise money for the new state.

Ambassador to Moscow

Upon returning from the United States, Meir was appointed Israel's first ambassador to the Soviet Union. During her brief stint there, which ended in 1949, she attended high holiday services at the synagogue in Moscow, where she was mobbed by thousands of Russian Jews chanting her name. Despite Stalin's repression of Jewish identity in the Soviet Union, the turnout showed that the Jewish community was still strong and united. The Israeli 10,000 shekel banknote issued in November 1984 bore a portrait of Golda on one side and the image of the crowd that turned out to cheer her in Moscow, on the other[11]

File:1948 Golda in Moscow crowd.jpg
Jewish High Holidays in Moscow, 1948: Golda Meir in the crowd (est. 50,000) of Soviet Jews who gathered to meet her

Labor minister

In 1949, Meir was elected to the Knesset as a member of Mapai and served continuously until 1974. From 1949 to 1956, she served as Minister of Labor, introducing major housing and road construction projects. [12]

Foreign minister

In 1956, she became Foreign Minister under Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Her predecessor, Moshe Sharett, had asked all members of the foreign service to Hebraicize their last names. Upon her appointment as foreign minister, she shortened "Myerson" to "Meir," which means "illuminate."

As foreign minister, Meir promoted ties with the newly-established states in Africa in an effort to gain allies in the international community. [13]But she also believed that Israel had experience in nation-building that could be a model for the Africans. In her autobiography, she wrote: "Like them, we had shaken off foreign rule; like them, we had to learn for ourselves how to reclaim the land, how to increase the yields of our crops, how to irrigate, how to raise poultry, how to live together, and how to defend ourselves." Israel could be a role model because it "had been forced to find solutions to the kinds of problems that large, wealthy, powerful states had never encountered." [14]

In the early 1960s, Meir was diagnosed with lymphoma. In January 1966, she retired from the Foreign Ministry, citing exhaustion and ill health, but soon returned to public life as secretary general of Mapai, supporting the prime minister, Levi Eshkol, in party conflicts. [15]

Prime Ministership

After Levi Eshkol's sudden death on February 26 1969, the party elected Meir as his successor. [16]Meir came out of retirement to take office on March 17, 1969, serving as prime minister until 1974. Meir maintained the coalition government formed in 1967, after the Six Day War, in which Mapai merged with two other parties (Rafi and Ahdut HaAvoda) to form the Israel Labor party. [17]

In 1969 and the early 1970s, Meir met with many world leaders to promote her vision of peace in the Middle East, including Richard Nixon(1969), Nicolae Ceausescu (1972) and Pope Paul VI (1973). In 1973, she hosted the chancellor of Germany, Willy Brandt in Israel. [18]

In August 1970, Meir accepted a U.S. peace initiative that called for an end to the War of Attrition and an Israeli pledge to withdraw to "secure and recognized boundaries" in the framework of a comprehensive peace settlement. The Gahal party quit the national unity government in protest, but Meir continued to lead the remaining coalition.[19]

Munich Olympics

Main article: Operation Wrath of God

In the wake of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Meir appealed to the world to "save our citizens and condemn the unspeakable criminal acts committed."[20] Outraged at the lack of global action, she authorized the Mossad to hunt down and assassinate the Black September and PFLP operatives who took part in the massacre [21] The 1986 TV film Sword of Gideon, based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team by George Jonas, and Steven Spielberg's movie Munich (2005) were loosely based on these events.

Yom Kippur War

File:Golda Sculpture.jpg
A sculpture of Golda Meir at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, California

In the days leading up to the Yom Kippur War, Israeli intelligence was not able to determine conclusively that an attack was imminent. Six hours before the outbreak of hostilities, Meir met with Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan and general David Elazar. While Dayan continued to argue that war was unlikely, Elazar advocated launching a pre-emptive strike on Syrian forces.

Meir believed that Israel could not depend on European countries to supply Israel with military equipment and the only country that might come to Israel's assistance was the United States. Fearing that the U.S. would be wary of intervening if Israel were perceived as initiating the hostilities, Meir decided against a pre-emptive strike. In hindsight, this was a wise decision; then-U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger later confirmed Meir's assessment by stating that if Israel had launched a pre-emptive strike, Israel would not have received "so much as a nail."

Resignation

Golda Meir's grave on Mt. Herzl

Following the Yom Kippur War, Meir's government was plagued by in-fighting and questions over Israel's lack of preparedness for the war. The Agranat Commission appointed to investigate the war cleared her of direct responsibility, and her party won the elections in December 1973, but she resigned on April 11 1974, bowing to what she felt was the "will of the people." [22]Yitzhak Rabin succeeded her on June 3 1974.

On December 8 1978, Golda Meir died of cancer in Jerusalem at the age of 80. She was buried on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on December 12, 1978.

Portrayals in film and theater

Golda Meir's story has been the subject of many fictionalized portrayals over the years. Ingrid Bergman and the Australian actress Judy Davis played Meir in the television film A Woman Called Golda (1982). The American Jewish actress Tovah Feldshuh portrayed her on Broadway and in the film O Jerusalem. The Broadway show was controversial in its implication that Meir considered using nuclear weapons during the Yom Kippur War. In 1977, Anne Bancroft played Meir in William Gibson's play Golda, also performed on Broadway. In 2005, she was played by actress Lynn Cohen in Steven Spielberg's film Munich. Valerie Harper portrayed her in William Gibson's play Golda's Balcony, which toured North American cities in 2005 and 2006.[23]

Quotes

  • "The Muslims can fight and lose, then come back and fight again. But Israel can only lose once."
  • "There were no such thing as Palestinians. When was there an independent Palestinian people with a Palestinian state? It was either southern Syria before the First World War, and then it was a Palestine including Jordan. It was not as though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine considering itself as a Palestinian people and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist." (Sunday Times, June 15, 1969)

Commemoration

Published Work

  • This is Our Strength (1962) - Golda Meir's collected papers
  • My Father's House (1972)
  • Meir, Golda (1975). My Life. Putnam. ISBN 0-399-11669-9.

See also

References

  1. ^ Golda Meir, a BBC News profile.
  2. ^ Female Prime Ministers before Golda Meir were Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Indira Gandhi of India.
  3. ^ http://www.ajhs.org/publications/chapters/chapter.cfm?documentID=272
  4. ^ http://www.mscd.edu/~golda/Norm%20Stuff/GOLDA%20MEIR%20OUTLINE.html
  5. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia of Zionism and Israel, ed. Raphael Patai, New York, 1971, vol.II, pp. 776-777
  6. ^ "Golda Meir," Encyclopedia Judaica, Keter, 1972, Jerusalem, vol. 11, pp. 1242-1245
  7. ^ "Golda Meir," Encyclopedia Judaica, Keter, 1972, Jerusalem, vol. 11, pp. 1242-1245
  8. ^ "Golda Meir: Peace and Arab Acceptance Were Goals of Her 5 Years as Premier". The New York Times. 1978-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Golda (Emery/Weiner School)
  10. ^ Golda Meir’s life was devoted to building Zionism by Dan Pine (Jewish SF, July 15, 2005)
  11. ^ http://www.iasps.org/nbn/nbn353.htm
  12. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762
  13. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762
  14. ^ Golda Meir, My Life, (NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1975), pp. 308-309
  15. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762
  16. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/7/newsid_4205000/4205843.stm
  17. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762
  18. ^ Golda Meir, Encyclopedia Britannica, Micropedia, 1974, 15th edition, pp.762
  19. ^ Golda Meir Encyclopedia Judaica, Keter, Jerusalem, 1972, p. 1242-1244
  20. ^ Hostages killed in gun battle Daily Telegraph, 5 September 1972
  21. ^ Morris, B. (1999, 2001). Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab conflict, 1881–2000. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-74475-4. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  22. ^ http://www.zionism-israel.com/bio/golda_meir_biography.htm
  23. ^ Review of Golda's Balcony http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=7583
  24. ^ [http://www.mscd.edu/~golda
  25. ^ http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.co0203 U.S. Library of Congress
  26. ^ http://www.mscd.edu/~golda/
  27. ^ http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1434


Biographies

  • Agres, Elijahu (1969). Golda Meir: Portrait of a Prime Minister. Sabra Books. ISBN 0-87631-020-X.
  • Fallaci, Oriana (1976). Interview With History. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-25223-7.
  • Martin, Ralph G. (1988). Golda Meir: The Romantic Years. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-0536-7.
  • Meir, Menahem (1983). My Mother Golda Meir: A Son's Evocation of Life With Golda Meir. Arbor House Pub. Co. ISBN 0-87795-415-1.
  • Syrkin, Marie (1969). Golda Meir: Israel's Leader. Putnam.
  • Syrkin, Marie (1963). Golda Meir: Woman with a Cause.

Profiles

Documents

Quotes

Preceded by
Yigal Allon — interim
 Prime Minister of Israel
March 17 1969–June 3 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Yigal Allon — interim
 Leader of the Alignment
1969–1974 		Succeeded by
Yitzhak Rabin


Template:Persondata


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