Nov 26 - Below are some key facts about Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who will discuss reviving negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Tuesday's peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.

* A career politician, Olmert was propelled to power after former prime minister Ariel Sharon was felled by a stroke last year. Olmert has described himself as "indestructible" but his popularity plummeted over the costly Lebanon war and a string of sleaze and corruption scandals. He has denied wrongdoing.

* Though he came up through the ranks of Israel's right-wing Likud party, Olmert joined Sharon in forming the breakaway, centrist Kadima in 2005. He supported the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip that year but, as prime minister, shelved plans for a similar unilateral redeployment in the West Bank. Olmert has met frequently with Abbas ahead of Annapolis but balked at Palestinian demands for concrete Israeli diplomatic concessions.

* Olmert was elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993 and championed building Jewish enclaves in the Arab eastern part of the city.

* A keen runner and soccer fan, Olmert is now 62. His approval ratings were buoyed last month when he announced he had early-stage prostate cancer but would stay on in office.

* Olmert spent his mandatory military service as a reporter due to health problems, seeing combat only from afar. He joined parliament in 1973, aged 28, after qualifying as a corporate lawyer. While in his 30s, he briefly reenlisted in the military to undergo an officer's course.

(Writing by Dan Williams)

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