Ehud Olmert
The Strategist
The long view, patient, analytical, playing several moves ahead.
Ehud Olmert is a former Prime Minister of Israel who has navigated the intricacies of Israeli politics and the Palestinian issue throughout his career. This interview reveals his strategic thinking and willingness to confront difficult decisions, highlighting his belief in the necessity of change for the future of Israel.
“It's not utterly dominated by the far right, but let's start first. I think really Kadima was an absolutely revolutionary change in the makeup of Israeli politics. Many of us from Likud who were part of the extreme right, I was part of it.”
“It's like a performance in the old week, if you want. He is made up, what remains of his hair, I don't have, as you can see, anything, he's dyeing it with purple colors, and he's preparing like this is a theatrical appearance. And he is a great performer.”
“And then there will be the big battle will be against Bengvier and Smotrich, not against them personally only, but against what they represent. I think that what they represent is an imminent danger to the security, the safety, the stability, and the integrity of the state of Israel. And they have to be thrown out with him.”
“And the extremist fundamentalist, messianic, right-wingers, both here and from overseas with big pockets of unlimited amount of dollars in one of the court cases that I had, a young lady that was working as a secretary in my office when I was mayor of Jerusalem. And she was observant. She was suddenly from nowhere.”
The Rest Is Politics: Leading — 71. Israel's former PM on why Netanyahu is finished, the settler movement, and corruption - Ehud Olmert
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