Helen Mirren to play Golda Meir

Hollywood Reporter reports:

Helen Mirren is set to portray Israel’s only female prime minister Golda Meir in an upcoming biopic set during the Yom Kippur War.

Golda, from BAFTA-winning producer Michael Kuhn (Florence Foster Jenkins, The Duchess) and being directed by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv, will focus on the 1973 conflict, when Egypt, Syria, and Jordan launched a surprise attack on Israel to reclaim territory lost during the Six-Day War in 1967, and the decisions made by Meir amid infighting from her all-male cabinet. Nicholas Martin (Florence Foster Jenkins) wrote the screenplay and also produces.

An inspired choice. Mirren is perfect to play Meir.

Golda Meir is one of my political heroes. She was one of 24 signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, and was issued Israel’s first passport as Ambassador to the USSR. As Minister of Housing she saw 230,000 houses and apartments built. She ordered Mossad to kill the terrorists who slaughtered the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. She also presided over the winning of the 1973 Yom Kippur War which saw 10 Arab countries supported by Cuba and the USSR attack Israel without warning on their holiest day. The war lasted 19 days and saw Egypt and Syria lose 2,100 square kms of territory.