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Golda Meir (1898–1978) was a Ukrainian-born American immigrant who rose to become the fourth Prime Minister of Israel (1969–1974) and a foundational figure in the nation's history, recognized for her unwavering dedication to the Zionist cause. Born Golda Mabovitch in Kyiv, she immigrated to Milwaukee before fulfilling her socialist-Zionist commitment by moving to Mandatory Palestine in 1921. Her political career was instrumental in state-building: she was a key leader in the Histadrut, a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948, and served as the first Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Minister of Labor (overseeing crucial immigrant absorption), and Foreign Minister. Her tenure as Prime Minister, characterized by her blunt decisiveness, was tragically marked by the 1972 Munich massacre and the devastating surprise attack of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which deeply challenged her leadership and ultimately led to her resignation, though she remains recognized as a pioneering and formidable "Iron Lady" of the Jewish state.