Golda Meir
Who was Golda Meir?
Fourth Prime Minister of Israel (1969–1974) and the first woman to hold the position. She led Israel during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Golda Meir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Golda Meir (1898-1978) was Israel's fourth Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974, and the first and only woman to hold this position in Israeli history. Born Golda Mabovitch in Kiev, Russian Empire, she moved to the United States with her family in 1906 and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from Milwaukee State Normal School and worked as a teacher, becoming deeply involved in the Labor Zionist movement. In 1921, she and her husband Morris Meyerson moved to Mandatory Palestine and initially settled in the kibbutz Merhavia.
Meir quickly became an important figure in the Jewish labor movement, representing Merhavia in the Histadrut and eventually joining the trade union's executive committee in 1934. During and after World War II, she held several key positions in the Jewish Agency, the governing body of the Jewish community in Palestine before Israel became a state. Her prominence grew when she signed Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948.
After Israel was established, Meir was elected to the Knesset in 1949 and served as Labor Minister until 1956. Then, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion appointed her as Foreign Minister, where she represented Israel internationally during the state's crucial early years. Health issues led to her retirement from the ministry in 1966, but she returned to political leadership in 1969 after Prime Minister Levi Eshkol's death.
Her time as Prime Minister included both diplomatic efforts and military challenges. She made several visits to Western leaders to promote her vision for peace in the region. However, her administration faced a major crisis during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel, leading to significant early casualties. The public criticism over intelligence failures and military setbacks harmed her reputation and political standing. After her Alignment coalition failed to win a majority in the following elections, Meir resigned in 1974 and was succeeded by Yitzhak Rabin. She died of lymphoma in 1978 in West Jerusalem and was buried on Mount Herzl.
Before Fame
Golda Mabovitch was born into a Jewish family in Kiev during a time of growing antisemitic persecution in the Russian Empire, experiencing poverty and discrimination early on. Her family's move to Milwaukee in 1906 brought new opportunities for education and political involvement. As a young woman, she became enthusiastic about Zionism through local Jewish organizations and Labor Zionist groups.
Her rise to prominence began with her dedication to the socialist Zionist idea of creating a Jewish homeland through farming and collective living. After finishing her education and working as a teacher, she persuaded her reluctant husband to share her dream of moving to Palestine. In her early years in Mandatory Palestine, she worked in agricultural settlements and advocated for workers' rights, laying the groundwork for her later political career.
Key Achievements
- First and only female Prime Minister of Israel (1969-1974)
- Signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948
- Served as Israel's Foreign Minister from 1956-1966, establishing diplomatic relations with African nations
- Led successful fundraising efforts in the United States that helped finance Israel's War of Independence
- Recipient of the Israel Prize in 1975, the country's highest civilian honor
Did You Know?
- 01.She was one of only two women among the 37 signatories of Israel's Declaration of Independence
- 02.Changed her surname from Meyerson to the Hebrew Meir in 1956 at Ben-Gurion's request when she became Foreign Minister
- 03.Raised funds for Israel's independence by traveling to the United States in 1948, reportedly raising $50 million
- 04.Was known for conducting important political meetings in her kitchen, earning her the nickname 'the lady of the kitchen'
- 05.Received posthumous recognition in the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1985 despite spending only her childhood years in the American West
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Women's Hall of Fame | 1985 | — |
| Israel Prize | 1975 | — |
| honorary doctor of the Bar-Ilan University | — | — |
| honorary doctor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem | — | — |
| honorary doctor of Brandeis University | — | — |
| Order of the Quetzal | — | — |
| Order of the Liberator | — | — |
| Order of the Equatorial Star | — | — |
| Order of José Matías Delgado | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Jerusalem | — | — |