Olmert's last day at work

After holding routine meeting with team of advisors, former prime minister bids emotional farewell to staff, talks with world leaders who promise to stay in touch, and leaves office with wife and son for last time

Reuters | Published: 04.01.09, 08:28

Tuesday morning former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert arrived at his office for his last day at work, and started his day with business as usual.

The then-prime minister held a meeting with his aides, Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel, Military Secretary, Major General Meir Kalifi, Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office Raanan Dinur, political advisor Shalom Turgeman and media advisor Yaakov Galanti.

The meeting was short and to-the-point, and dealt with a number of issues on the then-PM's agenda. Only in the afternoon hours did Olmert's day open up for a more personal meeting with his aides in which he expressed his emotions about leaving.

"I got an amazing team that knows how to act quietly, and secretly, while neutralizing the incitement from without. I am grateful to all of you," Olmert told his staff, thanking each one of them personally.

Olmert also took the time to visit all the employees of his office and bid each of them farewell in person – from the most senior clerks to the drivers and members of the house staff, addressing each employee by name.

The Prime Minister's Office employees said it was a very emotional day and many of them asked to take pictures with Olmert as a keepsake.

Promises to stay in touch

Later, the outgoing prime minister spoke on the phone with a number of world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, who told Olmert he would like to stay in touch with him and consult with him on regional political issues.

Olmert in response told Obama, "We did not have the chance to work together much, I trust you, you are an inspiring man, with the way you are handling the economic problems and global crisis. I am confident you will know how to handle our region in the same way."

Olmert also spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and a number of American senators and congressmen.

Most of the world leaders said they would stay in touch with Olmert, and even promised to invite him over for a visit.

Around 4:45 pm Olmert's wife Aliza and son Shaul arrived at his office. A few minutes later the former prime minister left the workplace he had been going to every day since January 2006, for the last time.

In the near future Olmert is slated to move to his private home in the Jerusalem area. After Passover the former PM will have time to treat the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with during his tenure.

It seems, at this point, that Olmert's future plans include going into private business in an office he will set up in Tel Aviv.