As the Insane Democrat Party's Women Continue to Attack President Trump, International Women's Day Offers Them a Better Role Model -- Golda Meir

AS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY APPROACHES, SOME ARE ASKING WHO COMES AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP? A BETTER QUESTION IS WHAT COMES AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP. While the Insane Democrats are still trying to overturn the right rock and find "Impeachment" under it, some conservatives are beginning to wring their hands about who will replace Donald Trump at the head of the GOP -- some because they don't like the President and hope his successor will be more like them, some because they enjoy the personal fruits his presidential success, and some because they see only disaster after 2024 IF as these types often say "we win in 2020.' Do the women in the Insane Democrat Party hold the key? • • • WHO WLL REPLACE PRESIDENT TRUMP. American Thinker's Michael Filozof, an adjunct professor of political science at the State University of New York who has in the past written for National Review, wrote last week : "Halfway through President Trump's first term in office, the jury is still out on his effectiveness in his quest to 'make America great again.' Trump has had some apparent successes: the confirmation of Supreme Court justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, the opening of relations and denuclearization talks with North Korea, a national tax cut, and a simplified set of tax deductions. He has, however, failed to pull the US out of NATO. Though he has announced troop reductions in Afghanistan and Syria, he has not yet ended American involvement in either war. And in his biggest humiliation to date, Trump brazenly promised to shut down the government for 'years' if necessary to build the wall on the southern border but capitulated after only weeks. The fact that Trump was willing to even mention these issues in public -- along with his opposition to abortion and gun control -- has been a victory of sorts for conservatives, given the alternative." • That is the very definition of the glass "half empty." • Here we see a glass half empty being topped up with pure panic : "We know what comes after Trump if the Democrats gain control. The Trump presidency, be it a success or failure in terms of fulfilling his stated campaign promises, has had the salutary effect of unmasking the Democrats. They have revealed themselves as the party of late-term abortion if not infanticide; the party of using the national security state apparatus to spy on political opponents and attempt to overturn elections; the party of violating attorney-client privilege to get an opponent; the party of radical gays and transgenderism; the party of radical gun control and Australian-style forcible gun confiscation; the party of anti-white racial demagoguery and "reparations" for slavery; the party of hate crime hoaxes; the party of open borders, unlimited immigration, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the party of seventy- to ninety-percent income taxes on the rich; the party of socialized medicine and making private insurance illegal; the party of outlawing all fossil fuels (and eliminating airline travel) within ten years, and the party of telling people not to have children to 'save the planet.' In other words, they are the party of unlimited socialist dictatorship -- the United States Constitution, the enumerated powers, and the Bill of Rights be damned." • Nothing there to argue with -- SO, who does come after President Trump? Filozof's panic deepens : "But who comes after Trump on the right, to continue his efforts to stave off the disaster that a Democratic-controlled government will surely bring?....To a large extent, Trump is a man without a party. Republican support for Trump has been tepid at best, if not outright hostile. Failed 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney's first public act as US Senator from Utah was not to call out the baby-killers and the gun-grabbers in the Democratic Party, but rather to disparage Trump. The Republican Party lost its biggest House majority since the 1920s in last year's midterms and barely hung on to the Senate. Speaker Paul Ryan failed to deliver border wall funding for Trump before voluntarily leaving office -- the second Republican Speaker in a row to simply quit rather than continue the fight. (Contrast that with the indefatigable Nancy Pelosi, who like a vampire rose from the crypt to reclaim the title of Speaker after losing it in 2010). The Republicans have proven to be the party of go-along-to-get-along country-clubbers, not political street fighters. It is, in fact, useful to think of Trump not so much as a Republican, but as if he were a third-party candidate who came out of nowhere and won the presidency to the surprise of both established parties." • Now, it gets interesting, despite the gloom and panic. Filozof says : "The last actual third-party candidate to do that was Lincoln, the first President from the then-upstart Republican Party in 1860. Lincoln's victory put the Whigs out of business forever -- but it also sparked the Civil War and ultimately cost him his life. Nonetheless, Lincoln's Republicans went on to national dominance, wining fourteen of eighteen presidential elections between 1860 and 1928. But it is far from clear that Trump has Lincolnesque coattails. Trump was sui generis in 2016. He had money and name recognition, two things needed to succeed in politics. Most candidates need the media and a party to supply those things; Trump didn't. How many other people out there have Trump's notoriety, money, pugilistic attitude, and willingness to take on The System if Trump fails -- or is taken out? Who else is willing to sacrifice his own money and public image to the unfathomable abuse the left and the media have heaped upon Trump?" • And, then Filozof slides back into deep depression : "No one that I am aware of. Trump needs to establish a long-term movement and a permanent majority -- and it is not certain that he is able to do so. Meanwhile, demographics are steadily favoring a Democratic future....Yet immigration, both legal and illegal, will eventually flip Texas and Florida blue and ensure Democratic hegemony for the foreseeable future. So the question remains: will the Trump presidency "make America great again," or will it be a temporary stay of execution from what the Democrats have planned the next time they gain power? The stakes remain as high for 2020 as they were in 2016. Maybe higher. America itself still hangs in the balance." • • • IS THE TRUMP REPUBLICAN RESURGENCY A FLASH IN THE PAN? The answer to this question lies in the conservative and independent majority in America who are disgusted and frightened by what they see in today's Insane Democrat Party -- often in the Party's women. What they see is a major political party lurching off the left side of the spectrum -- with leaders who are either leading the lurch Left or are afraid to speak up and stop the lurch Left. • BlabberBuzz's Carmine Sabia wrote on Tuesday about the challenge Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is taking to House Speaker and de facto head of the Democrat Party Nancy Pelosi : "New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was been a member of Congress since January, is convinced that she runs the Democrat Party. In fact she is so convinced of it that she laced into Speaker of the House Representative Nancy Pelosi in defense of her fellow annoying Representative Ilhan Omar. Omar has a history of anti-Semitic comments but she has increased her attacks on Israel since becoming a congresswoman. It has gotten so outrageous that her own Democrat Party is crafting a resolution to denounce anti-Semitism. Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has angered the wrong people with her latest anti-Semitic attacks, basically accusing those who are supporters of Israel of having an 'allegiance' to a 'foreign country.' " • But, a funny thing happened on the way to the anti-Semitism resolution -- it got postponed. Democrats in the House had begun by condemning Ilhan Omar for her anti-Semitic remarks. Democrat New York Representative Nita Lowey said : “Gross islamophobic stereotypes -- like those about @IlhanMN recently featured on posters in WVA -- are offensive and have no place in political discourse. Anti-Semitic tropes that accuse Jews of dual loyalty are equally painful and must also be roundly condemned. Lawmakers must be able to debate w/o prejudice or bigotry. I am saddened that Rep. Omar continues to mischaracterize support for Israel.” But, Ocasio-Cortez defended Ilhan Omar and attempted to attack President Donald Trump : "One of the things that is hurtful about the extent to which reprimand is sought of Ilhan is that no one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about Latinx + other communities (during the shutdown, a GOP member yelled “Go back to Puerto Rico!” on the floor). tps://t.co/MwrRN4v4DG....In this administration + all others, we should actively check anti-Semitism, anti-blackness, homophobia, racism, and all other forms of bigotry. And the most productive end goal when we see it is to educate and heal. It’s the difference btwn “calling in” before “calling out....If we called resolutions on sexist statements, a good chunk of Congress would be gone. To jump to the nuclear option every time leaves no room for corrective action. So I ask *everyone* that we practice calling in before calling out." — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 5, 2019. • How long will the imperious Pelosi put up with this before she destroys Ocasio-Cortez? Social media is already on this -- "They're coming at the queen..." /// "Nancy will use her for a while. As soon as her usefulness is done, AOC will be taken out (through political and legal means of course)." /// "Well...AOC does think that she is the Boss! @SpeakerPelosi needs to let AOC know, who is the real Boss!" AND, there is the BIG MAYBE. • On Tuesday, American Thinker's Majid Mohammadi wrote that : "America is an interesting place to live because of her 1) work ethic, 2) economic opportunities, 3) top colleges and universities, 4) free and open society, and 5) democracy. Democrats have five policies that, if enforced, will stop any person from thinking about moving to the US. 1) Making millions of Americans addicted to pot that is an obstacle to hard work. 2) Ruining the economy through green deals and more free stuff. 3) Degrading academia with safe zones, affirmative action, and Antifa-like fascist oppression. 4) Cracking freedom of speech and religion through identity politics and political correctness. 5) Voting fraud and social engineering such as bringing enough Muslims to give seats of the Congress to anti-Semite and anti-American members. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are the results of this policy. If there were no ban on Moslems coming from the seven designated countries, soon we would have Moslem ghettos similar to Europe. Democrats are going to cancel this policy if they can get back White House in 2020. Immigrants used to love America. The socialism and Islamism of the left have been targeting all of these jewels of Western societies. If Democrats' policies are executed, in a decade, the US economy will be as horrendous as Venezuela, and its freedom and democracy will be ruined to the level of Iran under mullahs....nobody will be interested in this country. In the last couple of years, three million Venezuelans have escaped their country. Iran has lost millions of people to immigration in the last decade. She is at the top of the countries who are suffering from a brain drain in the world. In this situation, the new dystopian drama to warn the population will not be The Handmaid's Tale, which is about religious totalitarianism, but a doomsday scenario regarding an Islamist and Socialist totalitarian society without enough food and prescription drugs and enough violence on the streets. The coalition of American Islamists and Socialists wants to distribute wealth to the point that every American will be poor and to intimidate people (by name-calling) to the point where they stop thinking. Political correctness is about making everybody shut up and repeat what Silicon Valley sharia police want them to say. Then we will be a 'fair and just' nation, and our citizens will emigrate -- maybe to Australia or Antarctica -- in millions." • As long as President Trump and his successor -- my guess is that it will be Mike Pence, a true political and social conservative Republican, who has been all over America and the world delivering the Trump message since January 2017 -- continue to deliver on the MAGA agenda -- it is more than the economy, it is freedom of religion and speech, constitutional American Christian values, legal immigration only, and brotherhood for all Americans -- Americans will vote for them. • • • ANTI-SEMITISM -- THE GREAT DIVIDE. Thomas Lifson, editor of American Thinker, wrote on Wednesday : "If the Democratic Caucus that controls the House of Representatives could be said to have a soul, this would be a battle for it. The new version of the Democratic Party, the one that embraces identity politics -- a coalition of aggrieved parties who unite under the doctrine of 'intersectionality' -- no longer considers Jewish Americans worthy of care, protection, or even consideration. Regarded now as Caucasian oppressors, Jews can be attacked for 'dual loyalties' and as craven manipulators using money to buy support from non-Jews -- classic attacks used for centuries to justify persecution and even extermination." • Lifson explains the postponed House Democrat wrote on an anti-Semitism resolution : "Yesterday, a planned vote on a resolution condemning antisemitism -- with no mention, much less condemnation of Representative Ilhan Omar for her repeated invocation of antisemitic tropes -- was mysteriously cancelled. But a good clue as to what happened can be inferred from the startling change by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), who only a few days ago was attacking Omar for her 'vile antisemitic slur.' : 'I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it’s unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the US-Israel relationship,' said Engel, whose district covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester. 'Her comments were outrageous and deeply hurtful,' added Engel, who is Jewish, 'and I ask that she retract them, apologize, and commit to making her case on policy issues without resorting to attacks that have no place in the Foreign Affairs Committee or the House of Representatives.' " • Lifson notes that Engel greatly toned down his language on Tuesday and watered down the demand to one of condemning “all” hated of groups, specifically mentioning “Islamopohibia.” Joseph A. Wulfsohn writes on Foxnews.com : "House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said Tuesday he's not poised to punish Representative Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for her latest controversial remarks, which have spurred new allegations of anti-Semitism....Amid bipartisan condemnation, there have been growing calls for Omar to be stripped of her role on the House Foreign Affairs panel, with critics pointing to Representative Steve King, R-Iowa; he was stripped of his committee roles by House GOP leadership over remarks widely criticized as racist. As of now, Engel is pumping the brakes regarding any punishment. When asked on Tuesday night if he thought that Omar was an anti-Semite, Engel responded that he doesn’t 'throw names around. I think the remarks she’s made have been very troubling. I have spoken out very publicly and forcefully about it in saying she should apologize,' Engel told CNN’s Erin Burnett. 'Look, you hope that people who get elected to office and they grow. I would hope the same thing would happen to her, but I’m not going to sit silent as long as there are people who are yelling out anti-Semitic tropes or anti-anything tropes, by the way. I’m opposed to Islamophobia. I’m opposed to hatred of any group. I’m hoping that she’ll grow and she’ll change. I’m hoping. Some people change their beliefs, I’m hoping she’ll change hers,' Engel continued, downplaying accusations of anti-Semitism. 'I think what she said was wrong and hurtful. I think she should understand that.' ” Engel added that he doesn't want to punish Omar for her anti-Semitism because doing so would “exacerbate the situation.” • For Lifson, that is the key : "The words 'exacerbate the situation' are the tell. Engel took a passive back-seat role : 'I’m hoping that she’ll grow and she’ll change. I’m hoping. Some people change their beliefs, I’m hoping she’ll change hers,' Engel continued, downplaying accusations of anti-Semitism. 'I think what she said was wrong and hurtful. I think she should understand that.' 'At what point do you say to her, Congresswoman Omar, ‘Look, you’re not on this committee anymore.’ You strip her of her seat.' Burnett asked if Engel was close to that. 'No, I’m not close to it,' Engel firmly answered. 'First of all, it’s not up to me, this is done by the leadership. I don’t know that that would do anything except exacerbate the situation even more. I’m looking to get rid of anti-Semitism, not looking to punish anybody.' ” • Thomas Lifson lays the blame at the doorstep of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus. He says : "They laid down the law to Speaker Pelosi, who was threatened with retaliation (loss of her prized speakership) if she pressed ahead with a vote. These groups cater to Jew-haters, who are now a bigger part of the Democrats’ base than Jews. Those two groups were cited by New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg as defending against a condemnation of Jew-hatred : " UPDATE: Vote on resolution condemning anti-Semitism may be pushed back. Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus pressing for a delay." • Lifson says : "This should be a clarifying moment for America's Jews, a majority of whom who still support Democrat candidates. Their own political party just can’t agree to condemn anti-Semitism....I expect some eyes to be opened, but some Jews are far more concerned with political correctness than their own survival. More importantly, the percentage of Jewish voters in the electorate has been declining for decades, and reasonably soon, Moslems, whose immigration numbers have skyrocketed since 9/11/01, will outnumber Jews. More importantly, the identity politics coalition now embraces Jew-hatred, for Moslems -- a billion-strong, worldwide force -- are victims, while the 12 million or so Jews remaining in a post-Holocaust world are oppressors in that twisted victimology doctrine. The Democrats are now captives of this coalition." • Representative Ben Crenshaw sees what is going on, says Lifson. Crenshaw tweeted : "At some point Dems just need to accept that @IlhanMN has deeply held prejudices about the Jewish people. Stop explaining her comments away and 'asking for dialogue.' It’s clear an apology from her is hollow. And she has a platform on the Foreign Affairs Committee? Really?" • • • MESSAGE TO ILHAN OMAR -- IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER, STUDY GOLDA MEIR. March 8 is International Women's Day. It is the right moment to offer a word of advice to all these Insane Democrat women -- if you want to help Palestinians gain their place in the world of nations, copy what Golda Meir did for Jews. Prime Minister Golda Meir, the Iron Lady of Israeli politics, played a fundamental role in establishing Israel as a country and guiding it through its difficult formative years. As an early proponent of Zionism, she moved to what was then British Palestine at the age of 23, and eventually rose to the fledgling state of Israel’s highest office.Golda was born in Kiev, Ukraine on May 3, 1898, and died on December 8, 1978, in Jerusalem, Israel.She is buried at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel. Mount Herzl is the site of Israel's national cemetery and other memorial and educational facilities, located on the west side of Jerusalem beside the Jerusalem Forest. It is named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism. Herzl's tomb lies at the top of the hill. The Mount Herzl cemetery and Museum reflect the sacrifices made for the creation of the new state of Israel as home and homeland for Jews. • When Golda Meir was born, there was no State of Israel. When she died, Israel was an accepted member of the community of nation states. Ilhan Omar -- if you want to do something useful for Palestinians, don't try to tear down America. Instead, emulate Golda Meir. Build up the Palestinians. • Golda Meir (1898-1978) was the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, in office between 1969-1974. She is the only woman to have served as Israeli Prime Minister. Meir has become known for her bluntness, strong will, and determination. Some important historical events took place during her premiership, including the Munich Massacre and the Yom Yippur War. • In the wake of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Meir appealed to the world to "save our citizens and condemn the unspeakable criminal acts committed." Outraged at the perceived lack of global action, she ordered the Mossad to hunt down and assassinate suspected leaders and operatives of Black September and the PFLP. The Steven Spielberg movie Munich (2005) was based on these events. • In the days leading up to the Yom Kippur War, Israeli intelligence could not conclusively determine that an attack was imminent. However, on October 5, 1973, Meir received official news that Syrian forces were massing on the Golan Heights. The prime minister was alarmed by the reports, and believed that the situation was similar to what preceded the Six-Day War. Her advisers, however, assured her not to worry, saying that they would have adequate notice before a war broke out. This made sense at the time; after the Six-Day War, most Israelis felt it unlikely that the Arabs would attack. Consequently, although the Knesset passed a resolution granting her power to demand a full-scale call-up of the military, Meir did not mobilize Israel's forces early. Soon, though, the threat of war became very clear. Six hours before the outbreak of hostilities, Meir met with Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan and general David Elazar. While Dayan continued to argue that war was unlikely and favored calling up the air force and only two divisions, Elazar advocated full-scale army mobilization and the launch of a full-scale preemptive strike on Syrian forces. Meir approved full-scale mobilizing but sided with Dayan against a preemptive strike, citing Israel's need for foreign aid. She believed that Israel could not depend on European countries to supply Israel with military equipment, and the only country that might come to Israel's assistance was the United States. Fearing that the United States would be wary of intervening if Israel were perceived as initiating the hostilities, Meir decided on October 6 against a preemptive strike. She made it a priority to inform Washington of her decision. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger later confirmed Meir's assessment by stating that if Israel had launched a preemptive strike, Israel would not have received "so much as a nail." • The Agranat Commission appointed to investigate the war said of Meir that she decided wisely, with common sense and speedily, in favor of the full mobilization of the reserves, as recommended by the chief-of-staff, despite weighty political considerations, thereby performing a most important service for the defense of the state. • Her party won the elections in December 1973, but Meir resigned on April 11, 1974. She believed that was the "will of the people" and that she had served enough time as premier. Yitzhak Rabin succeeded her on June 3, 1974. But, on November 19, 1977, President of Egypt Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel in an official capacity and he met Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem about his views on how to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Arab–Israeli conflict. He recommended the full implementation of UN Resolutions 242 and 338. On November 21, President Sadat again drove to the Knesset for meetings with the various Israeli Knesset factions. Meir was the first to speak for the Labor Party. She congratulated Sadat as the first Arab leader to come to Israel for the sake of the next generations' avoiding war. Meir praised Sadat for his courage and vision, and expressed the hope that while many differences remained to be resolved, that vision would be achieved in a spirit of mutual understanding." • In 1974, Meir was awarded the honor of World Mother by American Mothers. In 1974, Meir was awarded the James Madison Award for Distinguished Public Service by Princeton University's American Whig–Cliosophic Society. In 1975, Meir was awarded the Israel Prize for her special contribution to society and the State of Israel. • Although born in Ukraine, the future Israeli prime minister had a genuinely international upbringing and close ties to the US. Her family escaped Russia during a time of increased anti-Jewish sentiment and widespread pogroms -- violent mob persecutions of Jewish people -- when she was eight years old. Her father, Moshe, left first; he initially sought work in New York City, but then went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he worked in a railroad yard and saved enough money to bring his family over, three years after he had arrived. Golda liked Milwaukee -- she later wrote of being entranced by her "pretty new clothes, by the soda pop, and ice cream and by the excitement" of Schuster's Department Store. Golda attended the Fourth Street Grade School (now Golda Meir School) from 1906 to 1912. A leader early on, she organized a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. After forming the American Young Sisters Society, she rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event. She graduated as valedictorian of her class. At 14, she studied at North Division High School and worked part-time. Her employers included Schuster's department store and the Milwaukee Public Library. Her mother wanted Golda to leave school and marry, but she declined. She bought a train ticket to Denver, Colorado, and went to live with her married sister, Sheyna Korngold. The Korngolds held intellectual evenings at their home, where Meir was exposed to debates on Zionism, literature, women's suffrage, trade unionism, and more. In her autobiography, she wrote : "To the extent that my own future convictions were shaped and given form...those talk-filled nights in Denver played a considerable role." In Denver, she also met Morris Meyerson (born December 17, 1893, Chicago, Illinois, USA – died May 25, 1951, Israel), a sign painter, whom she later married on December 24, 1917. In 1913, Golda returned to North Division High, graduating in 1915. While there, she became an active member of Young Poale Zion, which later became Habonim, the Labor Zionist youth movement. She spoke at public meetings, embraced Socialist Zionism, and hosted visitors from Palestine. She attended the teachers college Milwaukee State Normal School (now University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) in 1916, and probably part of 1917. In 1917, she took a position at a Yiddish-speaking Folks Schule in Milwaukee. While at the Folks Schule, she came more closely into contact with the ideals of Labor Zionism. • When Golda and Morris married in 1917, settling in Palestine was her precondition for the marriage. Golda had intended to make "aliyah" straight away, but her plans were disrupted when all transatlantic passenger services were canceled due to the entry of the United States into the First World War. She threw her energies into Poale Zion activities. A short time after their wedding, she embarked on a fund-raising campaign for Poale Zion that took her across the United States. The couple moved to Palestine in 1921, together with her sister Sheyna, and joined a kibbutz. • Meir said in the 1975 edition of her autobiography My Life that : "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." • In the British Mandate of Palestine, Meir and her husband joined a kibbutz. Her duties included picking almonds, planting trees, working in the chicken coops, and running the kitchen. Recognizing her leadership abilities, the kibbutz chose her as its representative to the Histadrut, the General Federation of Labor. In 1924, the couple left the kibbutz and lived briefly in Tel Aviv before settling in Jerusalem. There they had two children, their son Menachem (1924–2014) and their daughter Sarah (1926–2010). In 1928, Meir was elected secretary of Moetzet HaPoalot (Working Women's Council), which required her to spend two years (1932–34) as an emissary in the United States. The children went with her, but Morris stayed in Jerusalem. In 1934, when Meir returned from the United States, she joined the Executive Committee of the Histadrut and moved up the ranks to become the head of its Political Department. This appointment was important training for her future role in Israeli leadership. In July 1938, Meir was the Jewish observer from Palestine at the Évian Conference, called by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States to discuss the question of Jewish refugees' fleeing Nazi persecution. Delegates from the 32 invited countries repeatedly expressed their sorrow for the plight of the European Jews, but outlined why their countries could not help by admitting the refugees. The only exception was the Dominican Republic, which pledged to accept 100,000 refugees on generous terms. Golda Meir was disappointed at the outcome and she remarked to the press, "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 held several key posts in the World Zionist Organization and in the Jewish Agency, then the highest Jewish authority in Palestine, becoming a powerful spokesperson for the Zionist cause during World War II. In June 1946, the British Government cracked down on the Zionist movement in Palestine, arresting many leaders of the Yishuv, Meir took over as acting head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency during the incarceration of Moshe Sharett. Thus she became the principal negotiator between the Jews in Palestine and the British Mandatory authorities. After his release, Sharett went to the United States to attend talks on the UN Partition Plan, leaving Meir to head the Political Department until the establishment of the state in 1948. In January 1948, the treasurer of the Jewish Agency was convinced that Israel would not be able to raise more than seven to eight million dollars from the American Jewish community. Golda Meir traveled to the United States, and she raised $50,000,000, which was used to purchase arms in Europe for the young country. Ben-Gurion wrote that Meir's role as the "Jewish woman who got the money which made the state possible" would go down one day in the history books. As the head of the Jewish Agency Political Department, Meir called the mass exodus of Arabs before the War of Independence in 1948 "dreadful," and she likened it to what had befallen the Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe. When Israel declared independence in 1948, she was one of only two women asked to sign the declaration. Reflecting on the experience years later, Golda said : “After I signed, I cried. When I studied American history as a schoolgirl and I read about those who signed the [United States] Declaration of Independence, I couldn’t imagine these were real people doing something real. And there I was sitting down and signing a declaration of independence.” • Soon after signing the declaration, Golda flew to the United States to raise money for the fledgling state. As part of this, she received what was effectively the very first passport (technically a Laissez-passer, or travel document) that Israel ever printed. • Golda Meir was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1965, and stepped away from her role in the cabinet in 1966, becoming the secretary general of her party instead. Three years later, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol died suddenly of a heart attack, and she was called to the post to prevent a power struggle. During her time in office, she built a strong relationship with the United States, worked to promote her vision for Middle East peace, and helped the country weather the terrorist attack at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich -- when 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage, beaten, and eventually murdered. • Golda Meir’s rise out of semi-retirement was orchestrated in part by the powerful party operative Pinchas Sapir, who saw her taking the position as a way to keep the party secure and prevent Yigal Allon and Moshe Dayan from fighting for the job after Eshkol’s death and splitting the party. It was also meant to be a short-term situation that would last the rest of Eshkol’s term -- but Golda once again proved her leadership prowess, ran for the position during the 1969 election, and won. She was Prime Minister until 1974. • • • DEAR READERS, on International Women's Day, Golda Meir's life story is a source of pride and a goal to aim for. She was true to her belief that a Jewish homeland was both right and possible. She devoted her life to that cause. • Today's young, ambitious, and aggressive Democrat women can learn much from Golda Meir -- especially Ilhan Omar, who could be a force for good if she devoted herself to helping the Palestinians settle their issues with Israel so their energy and resources could then be devoted to their own homeland. • Americans don't want Palestinians to fail. We want them to abandon their vicious anti-Semitism and accept that Israel is the Jewish homeland. That leap could open doors like those opened by Golda Meir for Israel itself. To those millions who say this is impossible, I answer, nothing is impossible. Nothing. As Robert Browning wrote : "A man's reach should exceed his grasp,Or what's a heaven for?"