Ehud Olmert

Ehud Olmert served as Prime Minister of the State of Israel from 2006 to 2009. Born in Binyamina in 1945, Olmert studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked as a lawyer. In 1993, Olmert was elected as Mayor of Jerusalem During his time as Prime Minister, he led the country during the Second Lebanon War which re-established Israeli deterrence giving Israel quiet on its northern border for over a decade. He also worked towards a peace agreement with the Palestinians and in November 2007, attended the Annapolis Peace Conference led by President George W. Bush. Following accusations of corruption, Olmert resigned from his position to fight for his innocence, leaving the premiership in February 2009. Olmert was acquitted of the central corruption charges levied against him but convicted of lesser charges of obstruction of justice and the misappropriation of political contributions and served a 16-month sentence in a correctional facility.