Golda Meir: Israeli Stateswoman and the Country’s Fourth Prime Minister

Golda Meir (May 3, 1898 — December 8, 1978) was born in Kyiv, Ukraine; she and her family immigrated to the United States to escape anti-Jewish pogroms. A longtime dedicated Zionist, Meir immigrated to what was then Palestine in 1921. After the founding of the Jewish state in 1948, Meir served as Minister of Labour and Foreign Minister. In 1969 she was elected Israel’s fourth Prime Minister, the only woman ever to hold that position.
 
Meir came under intense criticism after the 1973 Yom Kippur War: Many Israelis blamed her for the heavy casualties the country suffered at the beginning of the conflict. (This issue is discussed in the first video linked below.) In the nearly half-century since that war, much of the bitterness has dissipated. Today she is a widely respected and revered figure in Jewish and Israeli history.
 
Quote: “We can forgive [the Arabs] for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with [the Arabs] when they love their children more than they hate us…” | “Once in a Cabinet we had to deal with the fact that there had been an outbreak of assaults on women at night. One minister suggested a curfew; women should stay home after dark. I said, ‘But it’s the men who are attacking the women. If there’s to be a curfew, let the men stay home, not the women.’ ”
 
Sources: Wikipedia, New York Jewish Week
 
Learn more about Golda Meir on Wikipedia. >>
 
Watch “Golda Meir: Iron Lady of the Middle East” [9:41]. >>
 
Watch a short documentary about the life of Golda Meir [4:46]. >>
 
Watch “Israel | Golda Meir interview” [26:50] >>
 
Watch “Lioness: Golda Meir And The Nation Of Israel,” a discussion about Golda Meir [49:18] >>
 
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