The Only Woman in the Room

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Golda Meir (1898-1978), a key figure in the founding of Israel, held several prominent positions, including ambassador to the USSR, Minister of Labor, Foreign Minister, and the country's fourth Prime Minister in 1969. Born in Kiev to poor, uneducated parents and raised in Milwaukee, she moved to the British Mandate of Palestine in 1917. In the U.S., older generations remember her as a warm, grandmotherly leader and a skilled negotiator. However, in Israel, her legacy is more complex, influenced by misogyny in politics and her perceived failures during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which contributed to her resignation. This biography delves into the evolution of her political persona from her youth to her death, emphasizing her unique position as the only woman among male political figures. Pnina Lahav revisits Meir's early passion for socialist Zionism, her early marriage, separation from her husband, and her choice to prioritize her political career over family. Despite facing derision from male colleagues, Meir internalized the masculine ideals of her time and was often critical of other women seeking to follow her path. Lahav's work uniquely explores Meir's complex relationship with her identity as a woman in a patriarchal power structure.