Meir, Golda (née Mabovitch; 1898-1978)
 Israel
prime minister and labor leader, was born in Kiev, Russia, where her
father was a poor carpenter.
Golda returned to Russia 50 years later as Israel's first minister
to Moscow, and was received by thousands of Jews who came to the
Moscow Great Synagogue to meet her.
Extreme poverty caused Golda's family to emigrate to the United
States in 1906 and settle in Milwaukee, where she later studied
in the Normal School for Teachers. Childhood memories of Russian
pogroms influenced Golda in becoming a Zionist. Being a socialist
as well, she settled in Palestine in 1921 with her husband Morris
Myerson, joining kibbutz Merhavyah. Although Golda Meir quickly
adjusted to the hard conditions of kibbutz life, she soon became
involved in political and social activities that took her away
from the kibbutz.
In 1928 she became the executive secretary of Mo'ezet ha-Po'alot
(women's labor union) and was sent as an emissary to the Pioneer
Women's Organization in the United States from 1932--1934. On
her return to Palestine in 1934, she joined the executive committee
of the Histadrut (Israellabor union) and later became head of
the political department of the Histadrut, a job which helped
train her for her eventual role as leading statesman of Israel.
In the 1940s, Golda Meir was a major figure during the struggle
and difficult negotiations with the British mandatory government.
She took Moshe Sharett's place in 1946 as head of the political
department of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem until the establishment
of the State in 1948. After that she was appointed minister to
Moscow, a post she held until April 1949.
After being elected in 1949 to the Knesset as a Mapai party member,
Golda Meir was appointed minister of labor. She began large scale
housing and road building programs, and supported a policy of
unrestricted immigration.
In 1956 she became foreign minister of Israel and held the post
until 1965. As one of the few women to hold so high an office,
Golda Meir became a famous international figure. Among her main
achievements in foreign relations was extension of Israel aid
to African nations. On her retirement from the foreign ministry,
she became secretary-general of Mapai. 
After the death of Levi Eshkol on February 26, 1969, Golda Meir
became the fourth prime minister of Israel. As prime minister
she encouraged the emigration of thousands of Soviet Jews to Israel,
and strengthened relations with the United States.
Disaster overtook her administration on Yom Kippur, 1973 when
Egypt and Syria caught Israel's defenses off guard in a coordinated
surprise attack. Following bitter recriminations, Mrs. Meir submitted
her resignation and that of her government on April 11, 1974.
She continued as head of the caretaker government which successfully
negotiated a disengagement of forces agreement with Syria (following
an earlier one with Egypt), until the appointment of a new government
under Yizhak Rabin on June 3. She then resigned her seat in the
Knesset and retired into private life.
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