Israel almost ready for another Golda Meir
Almost 50 years after her era, Golda Meir remains the only woman to have served as prime minister of Israel, but the clock is ticking.
When the Labor Party’s Central Committee appointed Golda Meir to become prime minister of Israel on March 17, 1969, the gender aspect wasn’t highlighted. She was the first woman appointed to the position in Israel, replacing Levi Eshkol, who passed away, at a time when the country faced especially serious security challenges including the War of Attrition.
Almost 50 years have passed since then. While women have burst through many important barriers over the past few decades, especially in the judiciary, the economy and even the military, one question remains unanswered: Why hasn’t Israel’s political system produced another Golda?
The only woman who came close to becoming prime minister was Tzipi Livni in the 2009 election. As head of Kadima, she ran against Ehud Barak (Labor) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud). One thing that will always be remembered from that campaign was Barak’s dismissive and misogynistic attack on Livni, whom he called Tzipora, her full, old-fashioned first name, which means "bird." He challenged her ability to make important decisions concerning Israel’s defenses, claiming, “She can’t give answers, not at 3 o'clock in the morning, and not at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.”
It’s worth noting that Livni won the most votes in the election and an impressive 28 seats, while Barak’s Labor Party dropped to just 13 seats. It was proof that the Israeli electorate trusted Livni to lead the country in every way, including defense. Netanyahu, who won 27 seats, eventually formed the next government because of his successful efforts to put together a coalition. When the moment of truth arrived, the ultra-Orthodox preferred a right-wing man as their partner.
