Ehud Olmert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ehud Olmert
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אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט
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Official portrait, 2006
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| 12th Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 14 April 2006 – 31 March 2009 |
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| President | Moshe Katsav Shimon Peres |
| Deputy | Tzipi Livni |
| Preceded by | Ariel Sharon |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Acting 4 January 2006 – 14 April 2006 |
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| President | Moshe Katsav |
| Preceded by | Ariel Sharon |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Mayor of Jerusalem | |
| In office 2 November 1993 – 16 February 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Teddy Kollek |
| Succeeded by | Uri Lupolianski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 September 1945 Binyamina, Mandatory Palestine |
| Political party | Likud (1973–2006) Kadima (2006–2015) |
| Spouse | Aliza Olmert |
| Children | 4 (including Shaul and Dana) |
Ehud Olmert (born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He was the 12th prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. Before becoming prime minister, he served as a cabinet minister in the Israeli government from 1988 to 1992 and again from 2003 to 2006. He also held the important role of mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003.
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About Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert was born in Binyamina, in what was then called the British Mandate of Palestine. His parents, Bella and Mordechai Olmert, came to Israel from Ukraine and Russia. They wanted to help build a Jewish and democratic state in their ancient homeland. His father, Mordechai, later became a member of the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset. As a child, Olmert was part of the Beitar Youth Organization.
Olmert studied psychology, philosophy, and law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After finishing his studies, he started a successful law firm in Jerusalem. He also served in the Israel Defense Forces with the Golani Brigade. During his military service, he was injured. He later worked as a journalist for the IDF magazine BaMahane. He even joined Ariel Sharon's headquarters as a military reporter during the Yom Kippur War.
Olmert is married to Aliza, who is an author, playwright, and artist. They have four children and an adopted daughter. His daughter Dana is a literature lecturer at Tel Aviv University.
Olmert's father, Mordechai, grew up in Harbin, China. He led the local Betar youth movement there. Olmert's grandfather had settled in Harbin after leaving Russia after World War I. In 2004, Olmert visited China and paid his respects at his grandfather's tomb in Harbin. He shared that his father never forgot his Chinese hometown.
In October 2007, Olmert was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Olmert's Political Journey
Early Career in Government
Ehud Olmert was first elected to the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in 1973 when he was 28 years old. He was re-elected seven times in a row. For many years, he was a member of important committees, including the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. From 1988 to 1992, he served as a cabinet minister. He was the minister responsible for minority affairs and then the Minister of Health. In 1992, his party, Likud, lost the election. Instead of staying in the Knesset, Olmert decided to run for mayor of Jerusalem.
Leading Jerusalem
From 1993 to 2003, Olmert served two terms as the Mayor of Jerusalem. He was the first person from the Likud party to hold this position. During his time as mayor, he started and led many big projects in the city. He worked to improve the education system and develop the road network. He also pushed for the creation of the light rail system in Jerusalem. He invested a lot of money to improve mass transportation options for the city.
As mayor, Olmert spoke at a conference about solving conflicts. He talked about how leaders can help change how people feel about each other. He said that a good political process should not try to change others. Instead, it should allow everyone to live peacefully, even with their differences.
Becoming Deputy Prime Minister
In January 2003, Olmert was elected to the Knesset again. He led the election campaign for Likud and helped form the new government. After the elections, he was appointed as the Designated Acting Prime Minister. He also became the Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor. For a time, he also served as the Minister of Communications.
In August 2005, Olmert became the acting finance minister. He took over after Benjamin Netanyahu resigned because he disagreed with the plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Olmert had once been against giving up land. However, he became a strong supporter of the Gaza withdrawal. He later said he realized it was the right decision. When Prime Minister Ariel Sharon formed a new party called Kadima, Olmert was one of the first to join him.
Taking on the Role of Acting Prime Minister
On 4 January 2006, Ehud Olmert became the Acting Prime Minister. This happened because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a serious stroke. After discussions, it was decided that Sharon was temporarily unable to do his job. Olmert and the government confirmed that the elections planned for March 28 would still happen. Olmert was then elected chairman of Kadima.
In his first big speech as caretaker prime minister, Olmert said he supported creating a Palestinian state. He also said Israel might need to give up parts of the West Bank. This would help Israel keep its Jewish majority. He also mentioned a plan for Israel to withdraw from most of the West Bank. This plan was later put aside after the 2006 Lebanon War.
After the March 2006 election, Kadima won the most seats. On April 6, President Moshe Katsav officially asked Olmert to form a government. On April 11, the Israeli government declared that Sharon was unable to serve. This officially ended Sharon's term on April 14, making Olmert the new Interim Prime Minister.
As Prime Minister of Israel
On 4 May 2006, Olmert presented his new government to the Knesset. He officially became prime minister. He also briefly served as the minister for welfare.
On 24 May 2006, Olmert was invited to speak to the U.S. Congress. He said his government would continue with the disengagement plan if they could not reach an agreement with the Palestinians. Olmert was the third Israeli prime minister to speak to the U.S. Congress.
After the 2006 Lebanon War, Olmert's popularity dropped. Many people, including former chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon, said he should resign.
In December 2006, Olmert said he could not rule out a military attack against Iran. He urged the world to take stronger action against Iran. He called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats to destroy Israel "absolutely criminal." In May 2007, a report criticized Olmert for how he managed the 2006 Lebanese War. This led to large protests calling for him to resign.
Olmert welcomed the Arab League's support for the Arab Peace Initiative in 2007. He wrote in The Guardian newspaper that Israel was ready to make "painful concessions" for peace with the Palestinians. He said Israel was ready to discuss the Arab peace initiative openly. He stressed that talks must be a discussion, not an ultimatum.
In November 2007, he said Israel intended to negotiate with Palestinians on all issues. He stated that the Annapolis meeting would be the start of serious talks. On November 29, 2007, he warned that Israel's future depended on finding a two-state solution. He said if a two-state solution failed, Israel would face a difficult situation.
During peace talks, Olmert agreed that Israel would share Jerusalem as a capital. He also agreed to land swaps to keep major Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He proposed a tunnel linking the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He also suggested a demilitarized Palestinian state with an international security force. Both sides disagreed on how much land would be exchanged. Olmert later said he and Palestinian leader Abbas were very close to an agreement. However, the talks ended due to various reasons, including Olmert's legal issues and the Gaza War.
In September 2007, Israel launched Operation Orchard, an airstrike in Syria. This strike was against a suspected nuclear reactor. Details of the strike were kept secret in Israel for a while. After the attack, Olmert's approval rating went up.
In May 2008, Israel began indirect peace talks with Syria, with Turkey helping. Olmert said that restarting peace talks with Syria was a national duty. However, Syria stopped the talks a few months later because of the Gaza War.
Rocket and mortar attacks from the Gaza Strip happened often in 2008. A ceasefire was agreed between Hamas and Israel in June. But rocket attacks increased in November after an Israeli raid. The ceasefire ended in December 2008. On December 24, the Negev region was hit by many rockets and mortar shells.
On December 25, 2008, Olmert gave a "last minute" warning to Gaza. He spoke directly to the people of Gaza on Arabic TV. He asked them to pressure their leaders to stop the rocket attacks. "I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I'm telling them stop it. We are stronger," he said. The attacks did not stop. Israel then launched a military operation called Operation Cast Lead on December 27. More than 50 fighter jets and attack helicopters bombed targets. Air and naval strikes continued for days. On January 3, 2009, the IDF began a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The fighting lasted 22 days until a ceasefire began. Israel then pulled out of Gaza.
On February 1, 2009, Olmert stated that if rockets were fired at southern Israel, there would be a strong Israeli response.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on January 8, 2009. It called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The war ended on January 18, 2009. A day before, Israeli officials announced a unilateral ceasefire. Olmert declared the ceasefire effective that night.
Resignation from Office
On 30 July 2008, Olmert announced he would not seek re-election as leader of his party, Kadima. He also said he would resign as prime minister once his party chose a new leader. He stated he was "proud to be a citizen of a country in which a Prime Minister can be investigated like any other citizen." This decision was seen as the end of Olmert's political career.
Many politicians praised Olmert's decision to resign. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called it a "correct one." Defense minister Ehud Barak called it "a proper and responsible decision." Opposition leaders called for new general elections.
After Tzipi Livni won the Kadima leadership election, Olmert officially resigned. However, he remained prime minister as required by law until a new prime minister was sworn in. Livni tried to form a new government but was not successful. Because she could not form a new government, new parliamentary elections were set for 10 February 2009. Olmert remained in power until after these elections, as the law states.
Post-Premiership Activities
After leaving office in 2009, Olmert spoke at various colleges in the United States. In October 2009, he visited Magnolia, Arkansas. He spoke about Israeli farming, technology, and Israel's views on Iran. He also invited the university to partner with Israel's Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 2012, Olmert spoke against a military strike on Iran. In July 2019, he canceled a visit to Switzerland. This was after he learned he might be questioned about his role in Operation Cast Lead. In recent Israeli elections, he supported the Israeli Labor Party. He also became a columnist for the newspaper Haaretz.
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