In a resurfaced statement, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir expressed the need for immigrants from countries with a high standard, citing concerns about Israel’s future social structure. Addressing the Zionist Federation of Great Britain, Meir mentioned immigrants from countries like Morocco, Libya, Iran, and Egypt, questioning the potential for elevating them to a suitable level of civilization.
Meir, who took office in 1969 during a period marked by ethnic cleansing and racism, has been celebrated as a feminist hero in Israel. However, her comments have drawn criticism for being among the most antisemitic ever made. Notably, she asserted that European Jews were a superior race compared to those from the Middle East.
While Zionism is rooted in the concept of a shared “pure” race among Jews, this hasn’t prevented discrimination against individuals from the Middle East and Africa by European Jews. Jewish Voice for Peace highlights Meir’s history of discrimination against both Jews and Palestinians.
Meir’s denial of the existence of the Palestinian people is particularly controversial. She stated, “It was not as if there was a Palestinian people in Palestine and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist.” This statement followed Meir’s immigration to Palestine in 1921, during which she acknowledged holding Palestinian nationality from 1921 to 1948.
