Tag Archive for: ehud olmert

Ehud Olmert served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003. Born to parents who were members of the Irgun, the paramilitary group that fought for Israel’s establishment, Olmert became the youngest member of the Israeli Knesset in 1973, representing the right-wing Likud party. Rising swiftly within the party, he later became mayor of Jerusalem, revitalizing the city’s infrastructure, education, and welfare systems, even amid terror attacks. Despite his right-wing roots, he recognized the need for compromise, believing in dividing Jerusalem for peace with the Palestinians.

Olmert rejoined the national government in 2003, becoming a top aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Following Sharon’s debilitating stroke in 2006, Olmert assumed the role of acting prime minister and led Sharon’s new centrist party, Kadima, to electoral victory. As prime minister, he navigated Israel through the 2006 Lebanon War and approved a significant strike on Syria’s nuclear reactor in 2007. Between late 2006 and 2008, Olmert engaged in extensive negotiations with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, which nearly resulted in a comprehensive peace deal. However, his tenure was marred by allegations of accepting illegal funds from a well-connected American businessman. This led to his 2014 conviction for accepting bribes related to an industrial park’s construction, for which he served 16 months in prison.

Olmert’s latest book, “Searching for Peace,” mainly written from his prison cell, provides a gripping political narrative and a unique perspective on Israeli history, peacemaking, politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the future of the Middle East.