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| Ehud Olmert, Sharon’s right-hand man
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Israel acting PM Ehud Olmert and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana
Photo: The Council of Europe
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Ehud Olmert, named acting prime minister after Ariel Sharon, 77, suffered a severe stroke on Wednesday night, was born in Binyamina, Israel, in 1945.
He served in the Israeli army as a combat infantry unit officer and was a military correspondent for the IDF journal “Bamachane”.
A lawyer by profession, he holds B.A. and LL.B. degrees in psychology, philosophy and law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He was first elected at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in 1973, at the age of 28. He served on the house constitution, law and justice committee, state control, foreign affairs and defence, finance, education and culture, and internal affairs and environment committees.
From 1988-1990 he served as minister without portfolio responsible for minority affairs, and from 1990 until 1992 as minister of health.
Mayor of Jerusalem
In November 1993, Olmert was elected mayor of Jerusalem, subsequently resigning from the Knesset in 1998. 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 shekels in the development of mass transportation options for the city.
After his re-election to the Knesset in 2003, he resigned from his mayoral position in February 2003, when was appointed ministry of trade and industry, and deputy Prime Minister.
He was also appointed finance minister in August 2005, replacing Binyamin Netanyahu who had resigned in protest against the planned Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Important ally
In his function as a minister, he made several trips to European countries.
During Ariel Sharon’s second term as prime minister, Olmert was widely viewed as Sharon’s right-hand man. He was a vocal supporter of government policy and was Sharon’s most important ally during Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan.
When Sharon announced his departure from the Likud party and the formation of a new party, Kadima, Olmert was one of the first to join him.
Olmert is married and a father of four. He has for decades been a devoted fan of the Beitar Jerusalem football club.
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