Question

What was Golda Meir’s greatest achievement?

She served as prime minister of Israel.
She helped establish the country of Israel.
She showed strong leadership during war yet sought peaceful diplomatic relations with other countries.
She authorized retaliation against the murderers of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games

Answer 1

There’s no single objectively “greatest” achievement—how you judge Meir depends on whether you value state‑building, wartime leadership, diplomacy, or symbolic firsts. The most commonly cited candidates are:

- Helping to found and shape the State of Israel (she was a signatory of the 1948 Declaration of Independence and played major roles in early governments).
- Serving as Israel’s prime minister (1969–1974) and becoming a global symbol as one of the world’s first female heads of government.
- Leading Israel through crises—the Munich massacre response and the Yom Kippur War—showing resolve in defense while also pursuing diplomatic relations.

If pressed for one answer, most historians and commentators point to her role in helping create and consolidate the state of Israel and then leading it at the highest level—combining foundational statecraft with breaking gender barriers—as her most enduring achievement.