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Ekhud OlmertPrime Minister of Israel
Date of Birth: 30.09.1945
Country:  Israel |
Content:
- Biography of Ehud Olmert
- Early Life and Political Career
- Alliance with Sharon and Political Positions
- Personal Life
Biography of Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister of Israel, is 60 years old and is considered one of Sharon's closest allies. He unequivocally supported the Prime Minister at every stage of the Gaza withdrawal process initiated by him. He can remain as the acting head of the cabinet for 100 days, and then the President is obliged to meet with political leaders and agree on the formation of a coalition government. However, elections are already scheduled for March 28th.
Early Life and Political Career
Born in 1945 in the city of Binyamina, Ehud Olmert studied law and became a lawyer. His father was also a member of the Israeli parliament. Before being elected to the Knesset at the age of 28, he served as a career officer in the Israeli army.
In 1993, Olmert became the Mayor of Jerusalem and served in this position until 2003, when he joined the cabinet. During his tenure as mayor, he invested significant funds in the development of city roads, water supply, and sewage systems. At the same time, he actively advocated for the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, particularly in areas adjacent to Jerusalem.
Alliance with Sharon and Political Positions
Olmert is considered one of Sharon's closest allies. He followed Sharon's lead in November when he left the Likud party and formed Kadima, which adopted relatively more centrist positions. Olmert has recently been seen as a moderate voice in politics, especially compared to prominent representatives of Likud.
According to reports in the Israeli press, Olmert and Sharon's closeness began around 2001 when Olmert was still the mayor. Six months later, Sharon began selecting people for his cabinet. As a reward for supporting the Gaza withdrawal plan, Sharon promised Olmert a high ministerial position, and in February 2003, he became the Deputy Minister's assistant. In December of the same year, there was a stir in political circles when Olmert proposed withdrawing from both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In an article published by the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, he wrote that such a withdrawal seemed to be the only way for Israel to remain a democratic and Jewish state simultaneously. Olmert warned that the high birth rate among Palestinians could lead to Arabs outnumbering Jews in Israel. To ensure Israel remains a Jewish state, he argued that a new border should be drawn to bring as many Jews as possible onto Israeli territory. Colleagues in the cabinet representing Jewish settlers accused him of making concessions to terrorists.
Despite initial dissatisfaction, the idea of withdrawal eventually became government policy, and most Israelis now support it. Olmert has been a long-time rival of Benjamin Netanyahu; he replaced him as Minister of Finance in August 2005 when Netanyahu resigned in disagreement with the Gaza withdrawal.
