(1945- ) A Jewish
Israeli political figure. A long-time member of the Likud party he left Likud in 2006 to help form the
Kadima party after
Israel's
Gaza Disengagement. Olmert has served in both municipal and national governmental positions, including parliament member from 1973-1993, Mayor of
Jerusalem from 1993-2003 and Prime Minister from 2006-2009. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he oversaw the
2006 Lebanon War, his handling of which was sharply criticized, took part in the 2007 Annapolis Conference, and ordered the 2008 Gaza War. Olmert stepped down as Kadima party leader in July 2008 due to corruption allegations and officially left his post as Prime Minister in February 2009. He was indicted on multiple corruption charges and in 2012; he was convicted on one count of "breach of trust" and acquitted on two fraud counts. In 2014, he was convicted of bribery and sentenced to prison for six years. See "
Profile: Ehud Olmert," BBC, August 20, 2009; and "
Israel ex-PM Ehud Olmert jailed for six years for bribery," BBC, May 13, 2014.