25 Golda Meir Quotes From Israel’s Iron Lady
Published August 10, 2022
These Golda Meir quotes are sure to stir up emotion within you.
Let us know in the comments which one stood out to you the most and what your thoughts are on them.
Born in Kyiv in 1898, Meir immigrated with her family to the United States in 1906.
As a child, she showed signs of being a strong leader.
In school, she organized the American Young Sister’s Society and created a fundraiser to pay for their textbooks.
She graduated as valedictorian of her class.
In 1921, after getting married, Mier and her husband immigrated to Palestine.
They settled in a kibbutz and became her community’s representative to the General Federation of Labor.
Her leadership skills would take her to the Israeli Parliament and, eventually, she would become the first female Prime Minister of Israel.
Enjoy these Golda Meir quotes and sayings!
Don’t forget to also check out these Margaret Thatcher quotes about strong will and leadership.
Also, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily wisdom.
See the rest of our quote database for even more inspirational ideas and thoughts.
Wise Golda Meir quotes
1. “The dog that trots about finds a bone.” — Golda Meir
2. “I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” — Golda Meir
3. “You’ll never find a better sparring partner than adversity.” — Golda Meir
You will also enjoy our article on Snoopy quotes.
4. “Ability hits the mark where presumption overshoots and diffidence falls short.” — Golda Meir
5. “To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.” — Golda Meir
6. “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.” — Golda Mier
7. “There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row.” ― Golda Meir
Famous Golda Meir quotes about happiness
8. “Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life.” — Golda Meir
9. “Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart, don’t know how to laugh either.” — Golda Meir
10. “Glorious bouquets and storms of applause are the trimmings which every artist naturally enjoys.” — Golda Meir
11. “We do not rejoice in victories. We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel.” — Golda Meir
12. “We only want that which is given naturally to all peoples of the world, to be masters of our own fate, not of others, and in cooperation and friendship with others.” — Golda Meir
13. “It isn’t really important to decide when you are very young just exactly what you want to become when you grow up. It is much more important to decide on the way you want to live. If you are going, to be honest with yourself and honest with your friends, if you are going to get involved in causes which are good for others, not only for yourselves, then it seems to me that that is sufficient, and maybe what you will be is only a matter of chance.” — Golda Meir
Golda Meir quotes on Israel and Judaism
14. “Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself.” — Golda Meir
15. “Israel itself is the strongest guarantee against another Holocaust.” — Golda Meir
16. “We Jews have a secret weapon in our struggle with the Arabs; we have no place to go.” — Golda Meir
17. “The world hates a Jew who hits back. The world loves us only when we are to be pitied.” ― Golda Meir
18. “There will be peace in the Middle East only when the Arabs love their children more than they hate Israel.” — Golda Meir
19. “There is only one thing I hope to see before I die, and that is that my people should not need expressions of sympathy anymore.” — Golda Meir
20. “Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbors think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here.” ― Golda Meir
21. “The Egyptians could run to Egypt, the Syrians into Syria. The only place we could run was into the sea, and before we did that we might as well fight.” — Golda Meir
22. “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.” — Golda Meir
23. “How can I explain the difference to me between America and Russia?… the America I’ve known is a place where men on horseback escort union marchers, the Russia I’ve known is a place where men on horseback slaughter young Socialists and Jews.” — Golda Meir
24. “It is not only a matter, I believe, of religious observance and practice. To me, being Jewish means and has always meant being proud to be part of a people that has maintained its distinct identity for more than 2,000 years, with all the pain and torment that has been inflicted upon it.” — Golda Meir
Golda Meir quotes and sayings on leadership
25. “A leader who doesn’t hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.” — Golda Meir
What did you learn from these Golda Meir quotes?
Golda Meir was a powerful leader.
During World War II, she was a resilient spokesperson for the Zionist cause.
She helped found the state of Israel and would later become its fourth prime minister.
She was the third female in the world to serve as prime minister and she is the only female to have served in Israel.
Mier was a strong-willed, straight-talking politician and thus earned the nickname, the Iron Lady of Israel.
Did you enjoy these Golda Meir quotes and sayings?
Which quote was your favorite?
Let us know in the comments below.
