Golda Meir Actions

As the first and only female Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Golda Meir is remembered as a powerful yet controversial leader of the government. Whether it be the Yom Kippur War or Operation Wrath of God, Golda Meir’s actions are praised by some but condemned by others. The role that Golda Meir played in Israel’s fight for independence will always be remembered and still majorly impacts both the Israeli people and its government today.

In 1898, Golda Meir was born in Kiev, Russia to Moshe and Blume Mabovitch. During the 1905 Kiev pogrom, where over one hundred Jews were killed, Golda Meir and her family were forced to flee the country. They immigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Golda Meir was introduced to the concept of Zionism and

Some of these decisions, however, were met with a certain degree of controversy. One such action was Operation Wrath of God, the assassinations of the people responsible for the murder of the eleven Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Though most of the assassinations were successful, the assassins once targeted an innocent man resulting in the arrest of multiple members of Mossad, the Israeli foreign defense unit, and the exposure of Mossad’s secret bases throughout Europe (Pearson, “Operation Wrath of God). Although she was able to avenge the lives of the Israeli athletes that were killed, she exposed multiple secrets potentially affecting the security of the country. In addition to these actions, Golda Meir played a controversial role in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Golda Meir wanted to call up the reserves in preparation for a war, but listening to military and intelligence advice, she did not do so. Once Egypt and Syria attacked, however, it was too late, resulting in over 2,700 casualties. Golda Meir was forced to hear the despair of the parents of the victims as they shouted at her in the streets. Although Israel eventually won the war, many blamed her for the lives lost (Pogrebin, “Golda Meir”). Another action taken was signing Interim Agreements with Egypt and Syria where Israel gave up land in exchange for peace (Rolef, “Meir, Golda”). Some people objected to this stating that once Israel is in the hands of the Jewish people it is forbidden to return any part of it. This Interim Agreement did, however, help build the foundation of the Peace Treaty with Egypt signed three years later (Rolef, “Meir,