Ehud Olmert

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{{Infobox_PM |name=Ehud Olmert |image=Olmert_ehud.jpg |order=12th Prime Minister of Israel |term=April 14 2006-present
(acting PM since January 4 2006) |before=Ariel Sharon |date_birth=September 30, 1945 |place_birth=Binyamina |spouse=Aliza Olmert |party=Kadima }} Ehud Olmert (IPA Template:IPA; Hebrew: אהוד אולמרט; born September 30, 1945) is the twelfth Prime Minister of Israel. Olmert became Prime Minister on 14 April 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Though Olmert has only been officially the Prime Minister since April 14, 2006 he has been exercising the powers of the office since they were previously transferred to him on January 4 2006 after Ariel Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke. Olmert's title for that period was "Acting" Prime Minister. Template:Ref

His party, Kadima, won the most seats in the legislative elections held on March 28, 2006 and Olmert, as Prime Minister-designate, has the first opportunity to attempt to form a coalition government<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>.

Previously, Olmert was the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, the Finance minister, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, as well as the Minister responsible for the Israel Lands Administration. [1].

1 Background
2 Political career
3 Acting Prime Minister and Chairman of Kadima
4 Allegations
5 Family
6 Notes
7 References

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Background

Born near Binyamina in the British Mandate of Palestine (today the State of Israel), Ehud Olmert is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with degrees in psychology, philosophy and law. He has had his own successful law practice in Israel.

Olmert's childhood included membership in the Beitar Youth Organization and dealing with the fact that his parents were often blacklisted and discriminated against due to their affiliation with Herut, the opposition to the long-ruling Mapai party. However, by the 1970s this was proving less detrimental to one's career than during the 1950s, and Olmert succeeded in opening a successful law partnership in Jerusalem.

Olmert is married and is the father of five. He has for decades been a devoted fan of the Beitar Jerusalem football club.

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Political career

Olmert served with the Israel Defense Forces as a military correspondent, and then in the the Golani combat brigade.

He was first elected to the Knesset in 1973 at the age of 28 and was re-elected seven consecutive times.

During 1981-1988, he was a member of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee and has also served on the Finance, Education and Defense Budget Committees.

He served as Minister without portfolio, responsible for minority affairs (1988-1990), and as Minister of Health (1990-1992).

From 1993 to 2003, Ehud Olmert served two terms as Mayor of Jerusalem, the first member of Likud or its precursors to hold the position. During his term in office, he devoted himself to the initiation and advancement of major projects in the city, the development and improvement of the education system, and the development of road infrastructure. He also spearheaded the development of the light rail system in Jerusalem, and the investment of millions of shekalim in the development of mass transportation options for the city.

Some of his critics notedTemplate:Fact that Olmert hired numerous Likud activists to positions in the Jerusalem Municipality during his terms as mayor. Numerous cases of illegal housing construction both by Arab and Jewish firms continued throughout Olmert's term, and the practice has plagued the city to this day.

Ehud Olmert was elected as a member of the sixteenth Knesset in January 2003. He served as the head of the election campaign for the Likud Party in the elections, and subsequently was the chief negotiator of the coalition agreement. Following the elections he was appointed as Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor. From 2003-2004, he also served as Minister of Communications.

Olmert's change of heart in regard to territorial concessions damaged his standing among many Likud supporters, even more so than his generally-tolerated political appointments.

During Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's second term, Olmert was deputy prime minister, and was widely viewed as Sharon's right hand man. He was a vocal supporter of government policy and was the most important ally of Sharon during the September 2005 unilateral disengagement plan. When Sharon announced his leaving the Likud and the formation of a new party, Kadima, Olmert was one of the first to join him.

Olmert was elected to the 17th Knesset in 2006.

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Acting Prime Minister and Chairman of Kadima

On January 4, 2006, Olmert became Acting Prime Minister of Israel as a result of the serious stroke suffered by Ariel Sharon. The elections scheduled for March 28 took place as scheduled.

In the light of reports that Sharon may never recover to the extent of being able to resume work, Olmert was seen as likeliest person to lead Kadima into the elections. Under Israeli law, if Sharon was declared "permanently incapacitated" by the Attorney General, Olmert would continue as Acting Prime Minister for 100 days after which a permanent Prime Minister must be chosen. The elections, however, were due less than 100 days from the occurrence of Sharon's stroke. Since Sharon's was declared thus in April 2006, Olmert was chosen as successor to Sharon by Kadima.

In the days following the stroke, Olmert met with Shimon Peres and other Sharon supporters to try to convince them to stay with Kadima, rather than return to Likud or, in Peres' case, Labour. Peres has announced his support for Olmert, as has popular Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is regarded as the strongest political force other than Olmert within Kadima.

On January 16 2006, Olmert was elected Acting Chairman of Kadima[2] and number 1 candidate in the March 28 elections. [3]

On January 24 2006, Ehud Olmert, in his first major policy address since becoming Israel's acting prime minister, said at the Herzliya Conference that he backed the creation of a Palestinian state, and that Israel would have to relinquish parts of the West Bank to maintain its Jewish majority. [4]

In a number of interviews to the Media during the election campaign for the 17th Knesset in 2006, Ehud Olmert introduced to the public his convergence plan.

In the Elections for the 17th Knesset on March 28, Olmert's party scored a weaker-than-expected showing with 29 seats, which makes Kadima the largest block on the Knesset and thus the first choice for assembling a coalition. In his victory speech, Olmert promised to make Israel a just, strong, peaceful and prosperous state, respecting the rights of the minorities, cherishing education, culture and science and above all—striving to achieve lasting and definite peace with the Palestinians. Olmert stated that as Israel is willing to compromise for peace, the Palestinians must be flexible in their positions as well. He stated that if the Palestinians, with Hamas now leading the Palestinian Authority, refuse to recognize the State of Israel, then Israel "will take her own fate in her hands" directly implying unilateral action. The future of the next governing coalition largely depends on the goodwill of other parties to cooperate with the newly elected prime minister.

As of Friday, April 14, 2006, Sharon is no longer in the “temporarily incapacitated” state, having been in the hospital for 100 days--rather he is now "permanently incapacitated". On April 11, the Israeli Cabinet appointed Olmert Interim Prime Minister, effective April 14, unless Sharon's health were to improve. As this did not happen, Olmert became the Prime Minister of Israel on April 14, officially replacing Sharon. [5]

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Allegations

In the 1970s, Olmert was rumored to be a party to a complex scheme involving well-known Jerusalem businessmen, organized crime, corrupt legislators, and retired General Rechavam Ze'evi. This affair was documented in investigative journalist Aryeh Avneri's Ha'tvusa in 1992. During the run-up to the Ze'evi libel suit, Olmert allegedly took funds from the Likud treasury for his defense fund, although his lawyers were from his own law firm, which would effectively constitute bribery. Template:Fact All accusations against Olmert were eventually settled out of court.

Israeli businessman David Appel has been suspected of bribing both Sharon and Olmert, while he was mayor of Jerusalem, in what is known as the The Greek island affair.

On February 20, 2006, it was disclosed that an inquiry is being carried out on the 1999 sale and lease-back of Olmert's Jerusalem house, which allegedly was done on financial terms very favorable to Olmert, in what would amount to be an illegal campaign contribution and/or bribe. [6]

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Family

Ehud Olmert's wife, Aliza, is a writer of novels and theater plays, as well as an artist. It has been rumored that Aliza was a (founding) member of the Israeli left wing organization Women in Black, but this rumor is unsubstantiated. [7]. Still, Aliza is known to be more progressive in her politics than her husband. She claimed to have voted for him for the first time in 2006.

The couple has four biological children and an adopted daughter. The oldest daughter, Michal, holds a Masters in psychology and leads workshops in creative thinking. Their daughter Danna is a lecturer in literature at the Tel Aviv University and the editor of a literature series. She is a self-identified lesbian and lives with her partner in Tel Aviv. Her parents are accepting of her sexual identity and partner. Danna is moderately active in the Jerusalem branch of the Israeli human rights organization Machsom Watch. Their son Shaul married an Israeli artist and lives in New York. After Shaul was through with military service, he signed a petition of the Israeli left-wing organization Yesh G'vul. He later became the spokesman of Beitar Jerusalem FC, his father's favorite football team. This team is often associated with the Israeli right. Ehud's younger son Ariel, who did not serve in the Israeli Army, studies French literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. Shuli is their adopted daughter. She was orphaned from her mother at birth. [8] [9]

Olmert's father Mordechai, considered a pioneer of Israel's land settlement and a former member of the Second and Third Knessets, grew up in the Chinese city of Harbin where he led the local Betar youth movement. Olmert's grandfather, J.J. Olmert settled in Harbin after fleeing post World War-I Russia.[10] In 2004, Ehud Olmert visited China and paid his respects at the tomb of his grandfather in Harbin. Olmert said that his father had never forgotten his Chinese hometown after moving to Israel in 1933 when he was 22. "When he died at the age of 88, he spoke his last words in Chinese," he recalled.

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