Golda Meir

GOLDA MEIR d1978. Israeli politician, teacher and kibbutznikit who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. She was the first woman to become head of government in Israel. She was elected prime minister of Israel on March 17th 1969 after serving as labour minister and foreign minister. The world's fourth and Israel's only woman to hold the office of prime minister and the first in any country in the Middle East, she has been described as the "Iron Lady" of Israeli politics. She was Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Israel was caught off guard and suffered severe losses in the first days of the war, before recovering and defeating the invading armies. Public anger at the government caused her resignation the following year. She died in Jerusalem aged 80 on December 8th 1978