Golda Meir (1898, Ukraine-1978, Israel) was a labor Zionist leader, diplomat and Israel's fourth Prime Minister.  She served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between the years 1956-1966 and initiated Israel's policy of cooperation with the newly independent nations of Africa, introducing a cooperation program based on Israel's development experience. Between 1966 and 1968 she served as Secretary-General first of Mapai and then of the newly formed Labor "Alignment". In 1969 Meir was elected as Prime Minister, leading Israel during the War of Attrition and 1973’s Yom Kippur War. Though the Agranat Commission of Inquiry had exonerated her from direct responsibility for Israel's unpreparedness for the war, and she was re-elected in the December 1973 elections, Meir resigned in mid-1974 due to public pressure. She died in December 1978, at the age of 80.