Olmert to undergo surgery for prostate cancer

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday announced he has prostate cancer and would soon have surgery, but said the disease is not life-threatening.

Speaking to a hastily assembled conference in Jerusalem, the Israeli leader said the disease was caught at an early stage and that he would have surgery “over the next few months”.

“I will be able to carry out my duties fully before the treatment and within hours afterward,” said Mr Olmert. “My doctors... informed me that there is a full chance of recovery and there is nothing about the tumour which is life-threatening or liable to impair my performance or my ability to carry out the mission which has been bestowed upon me.”

“It is a matter of a microscopic growth, it hasn’t spread and can be removed by a short surgical procedure. According to the medical opinion, there will be no need for radiation treatment or chemotherapy,” he added.

Mr Olmert, 62, took office in January 2006 after his predecessor Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. Mr Olmert delivered the news of his illness calmly, speaking for about three minutes before leaving the room and giving the podium to his doctors.

The announcement came at a delicate time in Middle East peacemaking, just weeks ahead of a US-brokered summit designed to relaunch long-stalled peace talks.

It was not clear how or if Mr Olmert’s illness would affect his already troubled efforts to frame a common outline with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the conference, scheduled to take place in Annapolis, in either November or December.

Mr Abbas also has survived a bout with prostate cancer.

In Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Mr Olmert to wish him well as he undergoes treatment, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat wished Mr Olmert “a speedy recovery”, while Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said he didn’t expect Mr Olmert’s illness to affect the US summit.