(1898-1978) An Jewish Israeli political figure of Russian and American origin. Meir, a supporter of socialist Labor Zionism, immigrated to Palestine in 1921. She worked in several key Jewish Zionist organizations prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, including the Histadrut trade union and the Jewish Agency. One of the signatories of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, Meir served as an official in the government of Israel in various capacities, including  Minister of Labor from 1949-1956, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1956-1966 and Prime Minister from 1969-1974. She is the only Israeli woman ever elected to the position of Prime Minister. Meir resigned in 1974 after being criticized both internally and abroad for the unpreparedness of the Israeli military prior to the War of 1973. See Herzog, Chaim. Arab-Israeli Wars. New York: Vintage Books, 2005; and “Golda Meir.” Jewish Virtual Library. 30 September 2011. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/meir.html.  http://www.justvision.org/glossary/meir-golda