Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert was born in 1945 in Nahalat Jabotinsky

Olmert was born in 1945 in the British Mandate of Palestine to a Revisionist family. His parents, Bella Wagman and Mordechai Olmert, came to the country from Harbin, China. His father later served in the Knesset for Herut.

He studied psychology, philosophy and law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1978 he opened his own law office. He began army service in the Golani Brigade, left after an injury, and later completed it as a reporter for the IDF weekly BaMahane.

Olmert entered the Knesset in 1973. He was a minister without portfolio from 1988 and minister of health from 1990 to 1992. In 1993 he defeated Teddy Kollek and became mayor of Jerusalem, a post he held until 2003.

After returning to national politics in 2003, he served as a minister and acting prime minister designate. In 2005 he left Likud for Kadima, and in 2006 he became acting prime minister after Ariel Sharon's stroke. His government fought the 2006 Lebanon War and held peace talks with the Palestinians.

He announced his resignation in 2008 amid a corruption probe and left office in 2009. He was later convicted of bribery and other offenses and sentenced to prison. He was released in July 2017.