In the 10 years since he became a political chat-show host and a politician, Yair has dreamed about becoming Israel’s prime Minister.
As the country prepares for its fifth consecutive election in less than four years, the centrist, who had been acting as a caretaker, will try to prove that he is worthy of the top job.
He will be subject to constant attacks by Benjamin Netanyahu, the conservative leader of Israel and Israel’s longest-serving leader. Netanyahu was able to defeat Netanyahu in 2021 after forging an unlikely alliance among eight ideologically different political parties.
After the vote to dissolve parliament Mr Lapid was appointed foreign minister. This was due to his power-sharing agreement with Naftali Bennett (right-wing religious nationalist Naftali), who had been prime minister for the past one year.
He will assume the role of interim leader until a new government is formed following polls in October or November. If no coalition is possible, he could continue to be in charge for a longer period.
“Even though we are going to election in a few weeks, the challenges that we face will not be delayed,” said Mr Lapid as he stood beside Mr Bennett to announce the end to their coalition government. The coalition had struggled with infighting and had lost its slim majority.
He sounded like he was already on campaign trail and listed the most pressing issues that he saw for Israel, including high living costs, security threats in Lebanon, Gaza Strip and Iran.
He took aim at Netanyahu, who is still being tried on corruption charges. He denies these charges.
Yair Lapid was conceived in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1963. His mother was a writer, while his father was a Holocaust survivor who was also a journalist. He was well-known as a vocal supporter of secularism and was also known for being a politician.
While serving in the army, Mr. Lapid was a reporter for a military publication. He didn’t go to university, but he wrote newspaper columns, books, scripts, songs, and acted out films before moving into television. His chiselled good looks helped him move into television.
He was a television news anchor who challenged the power elite in interviews. Even though he has remained haunted by video footage from one TV news anchor over the years, Mr Lapid stated that he didn’t know much about economics during an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Mr Lapid’s political career began in 2011 on the backs of socio-economic protests. His Yesh Atid party (There is a Future) was founded with the promise of addressing bread-and butter, middle-class issues.
It performed well in the 2013 election. It focused on high housing costs and education reforms. Many secular Israelis resented the removal of military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Yesh Atid eventually joined a coalition headed by Mr Netanyahu’s Likud Party. Mr Lapid served as finance minister from late 2014 until tensions between the men led to his resignation.
Following subsequent elections, Mr Lapid became an opposition leader and clashed with the prime minster. When police recommended that Netanyahu be charged with corruption, Mr Lapid was a key witness in one of the cases against him.
Yair Lapid, as prime minister, will have the honor of greeting US President Joe Biden next month when he visits Israel and addressing UN General Assembly September.
He can expect to be more moderate than his predecessors when it comes to Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. Mr Lapid has stated his commitment to a bilateral solution. He is not willing to compromise on certain core points.
In an interview, he stated that Jerusalem should be the univided capital Israel. He also said that Palestinian claims to Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state, were “totally absurd” and had “no historical roots”.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking his sixth term, will try to portray his bitter rival as weak in security, especially when it comes Iran and terrorism. However, Yair Lapid’s challenge is to show that he can defend Israel from its enemies while promoting domestic unity. He must overcome opposition depictions of him as a narrow, privileged Tel Aviv Elite.
Although he is still deeply disliked by ultra-Orthodox party members, Mr Lapid has proven that he can work with other partners to reach his goals. Benny Gantz, the former military chief and current Defense Minister, joined him for a series of inconclusive election from 2019, before he engineered last year’s broad coalition united by the goal to replace Mr Netanyahu.
Global praise was given to the government, which included an Arab Islamist party. This is a rare example of inclusiveness in an age of political tribalism. Its accomplishments include managing two coronavirus outbreaks, passing Israel’s first budget for more than three decades, and strengthening ties with Washington, Washington, and Arab allies.
Current polls suggest that Likud will win most seats at the next election, but that it, along with its partners would still be short of a majority in parliament.
Yair Lapid, the prime minister’s residence occupant, will continue to work to achieve the politically unimaginable in the months ahead, trying to make sure that after Israel votes, he can keep the reins of power.
