MEIR, GOLDA. (1898-1978). Zionist and fourth Prime Minister of Israel. TLS. (“Golda Meirson” in Hebrew). 2/3p. Large 8vo. Jerusalem, 14th of Adar B, 5711/March 22, 1951. On State of Israel letterhead. To the minister of police [BECHOR-SHALOM SHEETRIT, 1895-1967]. In Hebrew with translation.

“While I was visiting Tira, my attention was drawn to the fact that there was no police station and no policeman was present.

I would be grateful if you would inform me of the chances of setting up a police station in the place...”

Meir joined the Zionist movement while living in the United States, becoming a leader in the Milwaukee Zionist Party. In 1921, she and her husband moved to a kibbutz in Palestine and as its representative to the Histadrut, Meir began her rise to power. She served the Histadrut in a variety of leadership capacities until 1946 when she took over Moshe Sharett’s role as head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency following his incarceration by the British. In 1948, Meir was one of the signatories of Israel’s Declaration of Independence and following her service in the Knessett, she became her country’s prime minister in 1969. Meir was immediately faced with the Arab-Israeli War of Attrition, which ended with a three-year cease-fire that lasted until the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Our letter was written as Minister of Labor, a post she held from 1949-1956.

A signer of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, Sheetrit was minister of police from 1948-1967, under 14 different governments. Our letter regards the city of Tira, located in Israel’s Central District, which was ceded to Israel following the 1949 Jordan-Israeli Armistice Agreement.

Folded and creased with file holes in the right margin and with two ink docket stamps and numerous marginal notes and dockets. In very good condition.