Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Golda Meir Delays Return to Address AFl-CIO Convention in Atlantic City

October 6, 1969
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

Israel’s Premier Golda Meir, long a friend of American labor, postponed her return home today so that she can address the annual meeting of the AFL-CIO in Atlantic City tomorrow. Mrs. Meir has expressed her gratitude to the American trade union movement for its moral, political and financial support to Hisradrut, Israel’s labor federation, and for speaking out on "Israel’s desire to achieve a permanent peace in the Middle East." She has been a top official of Histadrut and addressed labor meetings in this country when she was Israel’s Minister of Labor.

On Friday, Mrs. Meir stopped over in Milwaukee, the city where she was brought up, went to college and later taught. It was a hectic three-hour visit made obviously for sentimental reasons. She visited the elementary school where she began her education 63 years ago. Today the pupils are all Negro. They greeted Mrs. Meir by singing Israel’s national anthem, "Hatikvah." The houses where Mrs. Meir lived as a girl have long been demolished.

The Israeli Premier was greeted at the airport by 500 children from local Hebrew schools waving Israeli flags. Later she addressed a capacity crowd in the new Performing Arts Center and was given an enthusiastic welcome inside. But outside pickets who identified themselves as members of the Arab-American Committee and the Committee to Support Middle East Liberation carried signs and chanted "Golda go home."

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement