Middle East Conflict Biographies | Golda Meir Biography

Born on May 3, 1898 (Kiev, Ukraine)
Died on December 8, 1978 (Jerusalem, Israel)

Prime minister of Israel
Political activist

Golda Meir (pronounced may-EAR) became the first woman to lead a modern nation when she was elected prime minister of Israel in 1969. Over the previous forty-five years she had steadily risen through the political ranks, proving herself a strong, opinionated leader. The events of her life included the persecution she felt during her childhood in Russia, her active participation in the budding Zionist movement (the movement to create a Jewish homeland) in the United States during her teenage years, and her pioneering move to Palestine in the 1920s. All of these experiences fueled her fervent desire to create a homeland for the Jewish people. Her devotion to nation building took precedence over her marriage, her children, and sometimes her own health. For her...