Who was the Israeli Prime Minister during the 1973 war?

Golda Meir was Israel’s prime minister during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Meir had held the office since March 1969, after the death of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. The war began on October 6, 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israel during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Meir met with Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and military leaders as Israel mobilized to respond.

Although Israel eventually pushed back the attacking forces, the early setbacks caused intense public criticism. The Agranat Commission investigated Israel’s unpreparedness and did not find Meir directly responsible, but political pressure continued. She resigned in April 1974 and was succeeded by Yitzhak Rabin in June.

A common mix-up is confusing Meir with Dayan, who was defense minister during the war, or Rabin, who became prime minister afterward. The conflict is also called the October War or the Ramadan War, depending on national and historical perspective.