Ehud Olmert's memoir, Rise and Fall, is a revealing account of his time as Israeli prime minister, including his efforts to make peace with the Palestinians. Written from prison, it provides insight into Israeli history, peacemaking, politics, U.S.-Israel relations, and the Middle East's future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2022
Publisher: Brookings Institution

Ehud Olmert's Memoir: A Revealing Look at the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister of Israel, has written a revealing memoir that sheds light on his efforts to make peace with the Palestinians. Written almost entirely from inside a prison cell, "Rise and Fall" is a compelling account of Olmert's life and career. Olmert was born into a family with deep roots in the Israeli right-wing movement, but he became a key figure in the country's political landscape as mayor of Jerusalem. During his tenure as mayor, Olmert overcame decades of municipal malaise, inefficiency, and terror attacks to bring about significant improvements in the city's infrastructure, education, and welfare. It was during his time as mayor that Olmert realized the inevitability of compromise and the need to divide the city in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Olmert rejoined the national government in 2003 as a top aide to then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. After Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke in 2006, Olmert took over as acting prime minister and then led Sharon's new centrist party, Kadima, to victory in elections. As head of a coalition government, Olmert led Israel through the war with Lebanon in July 2006 and approved the dramatic strike on Syria's nuclear reactor the following year.

From late 2006 through 2008, Olmert engaged in some three dozen negotiations with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The talks, Olmert says, came "within a hairs breadth" of reaching a comprehensive peace deal. At the same time, Olmert was fighting allegations that he had illegally accepted large sums of money from a well-connected American businessman. He was acquitted of all but a minor charge against him, but in 2014 he was convicted of corruption and sentenced to prison.

Olmert's memoir provides a unique insight into the inner workings of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the challenges faced by those who seek to make peace in the region. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the conflict and the prospects for peace in the future.

Weight: 788g
Dimension: 162 x 236 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815738923