First Lady

In the years that they have had their own nation, the Jews have been governed by only two women--Jezebel's daughter Athalia, who ruled Judea from 842 B.C. to 836 B.C., and Queen Salome Alexandra, who succeeded to the throne after the death of her husband in 76 B.C. Last week in Israel a third woman took over, but for the first two days not even members of the Cabinet knew it. Finally, Foreign Minister Golda Meir, 61, rose in the Cabinet to inform her colleagues that Premier David Ben-Gurion, 72, had set sail for a much-needed vacation on the Riviera, had kept his departure secret to avoid any fuss. Before he left, he had written a letter designating who should take over his duties as Premier and Minister of Defense. Israel's new boss pro tem: Milwaukee-schooled Mrs. Meir.

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