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Showing posts with the label Golda Meir

Golda-ism

Prime Minister Golda Meir was meeting with President Richard Nixon at the White House. At the time, Abba Eban was Israel's Foreign Minister and Henry Kissinger the U.S. Secretary of State. President Nixon said to Prime Minister Meir, "Isn't it interesting the we each have Jewish foreign ministers?" To which, Prime Minister Meir replied, "Yes, but mine speaks English."

The First Israeli

The first legal immigrant to land in the state of Israel was a tired, shabby old man called Samuel Brand, a survivor of Buchenwald. In his hand he clutched a crumpled slip of paper. It said only, “The right to settle in Israel is hereby given”; but it was signed by the “Immigration Department” of the state, and it was the first visa we ever issued . -Golda Meir

Look at it This Way

Soon after Henry Kissinger was appointed Secretary of State he wrote to Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel: “As you know, I have been appointed Secretary of State. I hope very much that we shall be able to work well together for the benefit of both our countries. In order that there may be a complete understanding between us, I trust you will always be aware of my priorities, which are in this order: I am an American citizen, Secretary of State, and a Jew.” To which Golda replied: “Your letter makes me very happy. Now I am sure that we shall at all times be in complete accord." PS I am sure that you are aware that in Israel we read from right to left.

Positive Thinking

To Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State, who had written her that he considers himself 'an American first, Secretary of State second, and a Jew third,' Golda Meir responded that in Israel, “We read from right to left.”

Rhetoric?

When Golda Meir began to address the United Nations she started with, "My fellow racists...". These are called in Hebrew lashon sagay nahir , words which mean the opposite of what they say. Sometimes sarcasm gets the truth across better than being straight forward.