Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician who has served as Israel's Prime Minister, Deputy Premier, Finance Minister and Mayor of Jerusalem.

Born in Binyamina in 1945, Olmert practiced as a lawyer before entering politics. During his army service in the IDF, he served as a combat infantry officer and then as a military correspondent for the IDF journal Bamechane. His political career began in 1973 when he was elected to the Knesset.

In 1993 he became mayor of Jerusalem, during which time he advanced national infrastructure projects and significantly developed Jerusalem’s road, water, and sewage infrastructures. During his time as mayor, Olmert provided strong backing and advocacy for strengthening Jewish settlements in the areas surrounding Jerusalem.

In 2003 Olmert was re-elected to the Knesset, and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, in the new government of Ariel Sharon. Olmert quickly became an influential cabinet member and assumed a more dovish approach with his politics. He became one of the first Likud members to advocate disengagement from Gaza, which Sharon implemented in 2005. The Gaza disengagement was met with fierce opposition from many hardliners within the Likud Party and in November 2005, Olmert left the Likud Party with Ariel Sharon and joined the new Kadima Party.

In the midst of the transition from Likud to Kadima, Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke and Olmert became acting Prime Minister of Israel. In the following elections, as the new head of the Kadima Party, Olmert formally became the new Prime Minister. In the first year of Olmert’s premiership, a shadow fell over his government following its handling of Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Accusations of mismanagement and public pressure forced the Olmert government to issue an inquiry into the war, which accused Olmert of serious failings in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence during the war.

Olmert’s remaining time in office was marred by investigations into corruption charges from earlier in his career. The investigations and allegations of corruption led Olmert to announce his resignation in July 2008 as leader of the Kadima Party, and, following a leadership contest, the party leadership was transferred to Foreign Minster Tzipi Livni. Olmert’s term as prime minister officially ended after Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu managed to form a coalition government in March 2009, following a general election.

In August 2009, Olmert became the first former Israeli prime minister to face criminal proceedings, after he was indicted on three corruption charges relating to his time as a cabinet minister and mayor of Jerusalem.

Latest Stories on Ehud Olmert

First hearing in Holyland case opens in Tel Aviv court

Former Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, among those indicted, did not attend Monday's hearing, as he appeared at another hearing on corruption and fraud charges in the Jerusalem District Court.

by Haaretz and Tomer Zarchin 1 comments

Tzipi Livni and Ehud Olmert - Guy Assayag - 28102011

Olmert will not endorse any candidate in upcoming Kadima primaries

Former PM and Kadima leader met with both Tzipi Livni and Shaul Mofaz this week, but says he will stay out of the primary.

by Ophir Bar-Zohar 0 comments

Judge strips Lador of immunity from Olmert libel accusations

Former PM Olmert filed suit against Lador and Haaretz over an interview in the newspaper about a year ago in which Lador talked about allegations of wrongdoing against Olmert.

by Tomer Zarchin 0 comments

Yaakov Neeman - Michal Fattal - 08012012

A glimpse at the life of Israel's controversial justice minister

Prime ministers and influential figures have never been far from justice minister Yaakov Neeman's side, but controversy has been even closer.

by Tomer Zarchin and Gidi Weitz 2 comments

View All Latest Opinion on Ehud Olmert

Gossip and something extra

The root of the national depression, not to say despair, lies with the leaders of the present situation; but it is also planted deep within the prophets of change, those who are now starting another centrist party.

by Yossi Sarid 0 comments

Israel's radical leaders forcing an attack on Iran

U.S. presence in Iraq might tempt the Israeli radical leaders to drag Washington into a war in Iran against its will, as the object of an attack. In the face of history, the forces of reason must step on the brakes.

by Sefi Rachlevsky 7 comments

Splintered silence

The last four years have been quiet for Israel but that quiet will not last unless Prime Minister Netanyahu acts to change Israel's strategic landscape.

by Ari Shavit 0 comments

Olmert's rotten kingdom

The whole Olmert gang is completely innocent at this time, but Israel's democratic system of government, which enabled this gang to rule us, is far from innocent.

by Ari Shavit 0 comments

View All Pictures of Ehud Olmert