My Life: The Iron Lady of Israel, Golda Meir - XIX

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The task of unification of labour movement was not completed, she worked on it and was at the same time available for any emergency. Three parties could come together, it was in a way incomplete task, but at least all came under one roof. After this was achieved she went back again, distanced herself from the public life. She was 70 then, and was not well too.

Post-war situation

The situation at the home front did not improve much. Russia replaced everything Arab countries lost in the 6-day war, Nasser too had adopted the policy of no negotiation. The shelling on Israel's posts did not stop. Egypt violated the ceasefire innumerable times, Israel too understood the meaning and started preparing for such situations. The population of the captured territory could not be provoked, so Arabs started using terrorism. Jews in the foreign countries were targeted. This was to Target Jews a thousand miles away from Israel, probably it was effective and safer comparatively. Jordan was soon found beleaguered by terrorism, the king endangered himself. Nasser offered support to such terrorist activities. Even Lebanon tried to target innocent citizens and children regularly by shelling and firing villages and farms too. Terrorists were trained and they operated from their soil. ( This was given the name Fatah ) Israel defended their ceasefire line, this was manned by an army made of reserves, made of men who answered the call to arms, and did their duty. The war they had to fight was endless, but no one grumbled at being called again.

Accepting the responsibility as the prime minister

Levi Eshkol, the prime minister, had a heart attack and died, with whom Golda talked a night before it. She went to Jerusalem to attend the funeral and waited for the cabinet meeting to end. A newspaperman approached her and told her that everyone thought that Golda must come back. She did not think it was the time to talk politics, but the journalist wanted to know where would she be as his editor wanted to talk.

At night around 10 pm when Golda finished all the things and returned home, the editor was at her door. He reported that all felt, Golda was the only one with ' authority, experience and credit within the party to be acceptable to all ',so she could take the prime minister's place. Golda had the support of 3% of people as the choice of the next prime minister when the poll was conducted some time back. Golda knew that it was not a landslide vote.
The party was of the view that the elections were scheduled in October, and she was the most suitable person. Allon who was the deputy prime minister too emphasised the need for the party which she tried to unite some time ago. Some factions and many people did not approve of the idea of having a grandmother as the prime minister.

Golda could not decide but understood the difficult situation and the party would struggle to select another person. This was to be avoided, though she did not want the responsibility and stress of being prime minister, so she decided to talk to her family. The family realised that there was no choice, they said that she must accept the responsibility, and she decided to say Yes. On 7th March 1969, she was voted by the cabinet to be the prime minister. She never planned any position, the only thing she planned was to move to Palestine and be active in the Labour movement.

She was aware every decision she made was to affect millions of people.

She moved to Jerusalem and again had to get used to the things she had left behind. The first instruction she gave to the military secretary was that she had to be informed immediately if the report of any military action reached. She wanted to know about the soldiers' condition, so she insisted that the secretary should report immediately. She could not think of enjoying sound sleep when her boys were killed or wounded, she spent many nights keeping awake and waiting for detailed information. She would make tea for herself and the bodyguard if he came to check in, if the light was on.

The acts of terrorism continued till the summer of 1970, Russia did not use pressure on Nasser to end violence and killings, but rather offered help to Egypt Syria and Iraq as well.

Probably the thought was, that making life so difficult would compel Israel to give up. Every funeral was like a knife in the heart of the nation, Golda described, but to pull out simply was not an option. Israel was not eager to fight either, but the nation could not choose its opponents. There was every possibility of intervention of Russia, which it did ultimately. Thus in-depth retaliation with bombardment started. Golda said war for Israel and peace for Egypt could not coexist. This which was the war of attrition (the process of making especially your enemy, weaker by attacking or causing problems over some time) was a real war, the army held the ceasefire line with ' great strength, determination, courage and skill ', but there was a limit to the ability. The nation needed support and help, aircraft and arms were also required.

The United States sold planes but probably did not understand the situation, the President Nixon and the secretary of state did not support the stand of Israel on the position in the Middle East. The compromise solution was not an assurance for Israel's safety. France, Britain and Russia were with Arabs and the United States was the only support to Israel. Golda too tried to contact Arab leaders directly, she appealed all stating that Israel was ready to discuss peace with the neighbours, but Nasser's reply was ' no call holier than the call to war '. Others too had similar feelings. It was like, she described, caught in a vice. Their intentions were questioned, and at the government level too there were parties with different approaches to the situations. When the proposal of discussion for peace with Egypt and Jordan came forward, one group was dead against the withdrawal of the army from the ceasefire line in 1967 until the peace.

Golda was aware that the nation needed the United States' support, and wanted to get arms too, for the survival of Israel. But the group was not ready to change its stance, however, she tried. Finally, the four ministers resigned from the government, despite the request to stay with the government.

There were leaks constantly from the cabinet meetings, but she said more important was survival and peace.

Visit to the United States

Ultimately she decided to visit Washington to speak to President Nixon, congressmen and senators if it could be arranged. Cabinet too found it to be a good idea. She certainly had doubts about the possibility of success. She had not met Nixon before, nor did she know men around him and had no idea what was told to the president about her. She was a sort of stop-gap prime minister who probably would not get re-elected. Golda decided to explain to him the ' problems and difficulties ' with all seriousness and wanted to convince him that it could not be expected to withdraw even an inch till the agreement was reached between Arabs and Israel. At the same time, the country needed arms, this was to be conveyed. The country wanted a low-interest loan of 200 million dollars per year for 5 years to buy the planes, they needed to balance the flow to the Middle East. ( Israel had a good record of repayment, it never defaulted. ) She was greeted by thousands waving banners, one of them read ' We dig you, Golda ' ( we understand you ), again At Independence Square (in Philadelphia) 30000 American Jews had gathered, and waited for hours for her to arrive. President Nixon put her at ease immediately after she got down.

She had a meeting with the president where everything was discussed. At the same time, foreign ministers of America and Russia were meeting in New York. No formal statement was released after she met with president Nixon, both thought that rarely such things communicate anything. A dinner was organised in her honour at the White House, she was relaxed for the first time in months because she felt the United States would stand by Israel. Meeting with the president resulted well.

Election saw her win the popular support

She talked about peace and her dream of Arab farmers crossing Jordan without planes or tanks but with tractors and hand outstretchs in friendship which she wanted to come true. The war was still on, terrorists were active but her rating by the people of Israel touched 80. Her party could win the election and she became the elected prime minister.