Tzipi Livni

Israeli Foreign Minister and deputy Premier Tzipi Livni.

Sebastian Scheiner / AP

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Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is one step closer to becoming the nation's first female prime minister since Golda Meir. The current prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has decided to resign following corruption allegations involving more than $150,000 in payments from a New York businessman. Livni, 50, has served in Israel's legislature, the Knesset, for less than a decade, but was effectively put on the path to the nation's highest office after claiming victory in Tuesday's primary.

Livni was born into a extremely nationalist family: Both parents were fighters in the Irgun, the Jewish underground movement that fought the British in Palestine before the founding of Israel, and are thought to be the first couple to marry in the new Israeli state in 1948. Livni served as a lieutenant in the Israeli army and later joined Mossad, working for the intelligence service for several years in the early '80s. She left the service to became a real estate lawyer before dipping into politics in 1999. Following her election to the Knesset, she became a protege of Ariel Sharon, and gained a reputation for being modest and humorless — but always on the straight and narrow. She's often referred to as "Israel's Mrs. Clean."

Despite her early upbringing, Livni is seen as moderate on several issues, specifically the idea of a Palestinian state, talks for which she has been involved in for almost a year. She has, however, taken a hard line on denying right of return claims by Palestinians who wish to return to previously owned lands in Israel. Livni, who defeated her main opponent, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, will have several weeks to either form a coalition or put together a new alliance from scratch.