After almost a decade, Yair Lapid is fulfilling his dream of “becoming the Prime Minister of Israel.” True, this is a transitional government, for a short time and without governance, but according to the dry law, Yair Lapid is the Prime Minister of Israel, period. It is a mistake to think that Yair is aiming for the prime minister’s chair only since he founded the Yesh Atid party, Lapid has been dreaming about this day almost since he started writing a political column in the Maariv newspaper, perhaps even earlier.
Yair Lapid embodies the Israeli ‘consensus’, he was the answer to the question he used to ask his interviewees, “What do you think is Israeli?” Until he entered politics, Yair Lapid was the ultimate, beautiful, successful Israeli man, He was the most popular columnist, in the most popular newspaper, presenting the most popular newscast, on the most popular channel.
Lapid always spoke of “we” to the Israeli mainstream center, “we” are troubled by the state of education, and the salaries of teachers, and by the fact that the ultra-Orthodox evade and do not pay taxes, and by the inefficiency of the police and against breaking silence and thus penetrating the Israeli mainstream.
Yair Lapid, was born on the 18th of Cheshvan 5764 to his parents Yosef (Tommy) and Shulamit Lapid in Tel Aviv. His father, a well-known journalist and later a politician, was a Holocaust survivor and a native of Yugoslavia. His mother, a well-known writer and playwright, lived in the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood as a child and moved to London with his family for a number of years. Although he graduated from the Herzliya Gymnasium, he was not entitled to a matriculation certificate. (Later, on the eve of the establishment of the Yesh Atid party, the Council for Higher Education began examining how it is possible that Lapid completed a master’s degree and a doctorate from Bar-Ilan University without receiving a matriculation or a bachelor’s degree).
Lapid transferred his military service as a military correspondent for the newspaper “Bamhana”.
In an interview with the Haifa University Department of Communication, Perspective, he provided a much broader version of the story: “I was in an armored brigade in the Lebanon war, and someone threw a smoke grenade at me and had an asthma attack, This is officially the beginning of my career, “he told Anat Pizov, who interviewed him.
“So it’s all because of a grenade? A great story for grandchildren,” the interviewer asked? Yes, Lapid replied, especially given the fact that another IDF soldier threw the grenade at me. When landing helicopters, smoke grenades are thrown at a crossroads and then a smoke X is formed, and the helicopter lands in the middle. “It reached me, so unfortunately it was not something heroic. From there I got to the ‘camp’.”
However, in response to a Facebook surfer who called him a ‘dodger’ following his service as a military reporter, Lapid replied that he actually suffered from asthma that he hid from the army in order to enlist in combat service. He said he had reached the Air Force training but the dust-saturated environment led to a severe asthma attack towards the end of the training and a lowering of profile.
So what’s the truth? Vague, almost like the views of the new prime minister. His Wikipedia entry reads: He did most of his military service as a reporter for the “Camp” newspaper. According to one version he provided, he began his service in the 500th Armored Brigade, while landing a helicopter in the First Lebanon War that inhaled smoke and had an asthma attack and then went on to serve in the “camp.” According to another version of him his service began in the Air Force training, towards the end of which he had an asthma attack, which led to the lowering of his medical profile.
In the shadow of Dad – Yair Lapid becomes an influential journalist
Lapid, his associates said, was a ‘rebellious boy’. He did not like his father’s shadow chasing him all day, so after his military service, Lapid began writing a column for Maariv. Yair entered the system and soon, unlike his father, became popular with members of the system and Torio began to gain popularity among the Israeli public.
Later, the young Yair went on to write his weekly column in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, where he persevered and gained popularity for about 20 years until his retirement and the establishment of the Yesh Atid party. On Channel One and later on Channel 2.
In 1997, Lapid moved to the United States, where billionaire Arnon Milchen appointed him director of the television department at the New Regency company he owns. In the future, Lapid will mediate between Milchen and the network to buy the Israeli television channel.
In 2008, when he enjoyed great popularity in the television program he hosted and his column in Yedioth Ahronoth, Lapid accepted the coveted journalistic role, presenting the “Ulpan Shishi” edition on Channel 2, which was considered the “Israeli tribal bonfire” with extremely high ratings.
Fumbling for his future – gathering associates, shaking off corrupt people
The political germ has been burning in Torch Jr. probably ever since however after he started submitting Studio Friday, plans to enter politics were woven into his mind, he began meeting in private with a number of close friends. He disqualified himself from joining an existing party because there he would have to deal with internal voices against him, he tried to make a move with Haim Ramon and even with Tzipi Livni but finally preferred to wait a bit and form a hive of loyalists around him.
His first connection was with Eli Moyal, the mayor of Sderot at the time who was the ultimate partner that Lapid was looking for. Mizrahi, from the periphery and with tremendous political power. Lapid and Moyal met several times a week and planned their political future but a police investigation on suspicion of corruption around Eli Moyal cut off plans and according to Moyal, Lapid severed all ties with him, he tried to equate himself with “Mr. Clean” (Mr. Clean). Even with the cigars and whiskey, Lapid stopped on the advice of his advisers.
The next connection was with the mayor of Bat Yam, Shlomo Lahiani, who came to Lapid together with a group of mayors such as Yael German and Carmi Gilon and more, here too the connection between Lapid and Lahiani was severed on the day he was arrested on suspicion of corruption. Ehud Olmert, who was one of his top advisers and the people closest to his father Tommy, also told Ben Caspit in a film about Yair Lapid on a real-time program that since the investigations into Olmert’s case began, Lapid has been careful not to appear with him in the same frame and have a common image. .
In 2010, a wave of rumors began about his entry into politics and despite the denials, the Knesset tried to promote the “Torch Law” which would require journalists to cool down for a period before entering politics like the existing law among veterans.
The fall has fallen – a party is being set up, the ‘basement forum is setting up a list’
On January 13, 2012, Lapid published a column detailing his doctrine and explaining why he decided to leave the press chair and jump into politics. He raised on the public agenda the question “Where is the money?” Wrote. He said the wasteful government mechanisms and political blackmail led to the tent protests in 2011.
Lapid set up a consultants’ forum and was nicknamed the ‘Basement Forum’ because it took place in the basement of his house, in which his advisers and confidants Uri Shani, Yoram Bauman, Yaakov Perry, Shai Firon and several other senior members of his party to be established participated. In the proclaimed platform, emphasis is placed on the need to replace the current regime, the corruption and what they called religious coercion.
Lapid brings in 100 people who were called the ‘founders’ and they gave a guarantee of NIS 100,000 each for the purpose of establishing the party, the bank grants NIS 10 million to finance the first campaign based on the guarantees.
Lapid does not intend to form ‘another’ party but a party that is only his. According to the party’s bylaws, the party chairman will determine the list of candidates for the Knesset, decide on political issues such as joining the coalition, and the founding chairman (Lapid) is guaranteed the position of chairman until the end of the twenty-first Knesset term. Until the end of the twenty-second Knesset term. In November 2019, his term was extended by another 3 Knessets, until the 25th Knesset without a contest.
Election Surprise – Joined Netanyahu in the Brotherhood
Although he received 19 seats, Lapid understands that he will not be able to get a bloc to block Netanyahu and certainly not form a government in his place because he did not attract votes from the right-wing bloc but drew them from the left mainly from the Labor Party. Lapid decides to accept Netanyahu’s proposal and enter the Ministry of Finance.
Although he promised throughout the campaign not to raise taxes, Lapid, who receives the state coffers with a deficit of NIS 40 billion, raises VAT by one percent, cuts child benefits (and mainly harms the ultra-Orthodox), raises taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, raises corporate taxes drastically and exiles The title is a 40% cut in the conference budget.
With the formation of the government, Lapid was also appointed head of the “Housing Cabinet”, a committee consisting of members of the government and professional bodies, which was established for the purpose of coordinating and promoting housing solutions. Lapid’s most significant initiative in this role was the introduction of zero VAT on the purchase of a first apartment from a contractor, to those eligible. Former Ministry of Finance, Shmuel Selvin and Yarom Ariav.
Throughout his tenure, Lapid was caught in embarrassing mistakes that show that he did not even bother to flip through the data before presenting them regarding the economy and the standard of living in the country and other data. Lapid told one of the meetings who he cares about, there is one named Ricky Cohen, Lapid said, she lives in Hadera with two children and she flies abroad for vacation only twice a year, she maintains a car and it is difficult to finish the month, Lapid received angry reactions from the public who did not understand how Lapid Skip the lower class (transparent, as Shas called it).
Following the same decrees and cuts against the ultra-Orthodox public and in particular, the passage of the draft law, the late Grail Steinman defined Finance Minister Yair Lapid as ‘Amalek of our generation’. In a lesson on the resurrection of Amalek in a leap year, the Grail noted that the opinion of the ‘scribe’ is that when reading the commandment to resurrect the Amalekite, this is because next year is a leap year and more than twelve months will pass from the Parshas Zachor this year. In his words, the Grail added: “That Amalek of our generation, what should be directed at him – this will illuminate Lapid.”
Lapid told ultra-Orthodox students in a lecture that “we thought of you as being destined for a museum, a rare and extinct species that needs to be preserved so that the grandchildren can be brought in and shown to them. You see children, it looks like a Jew, but you have won.” He added that “victory has a price, it imposes responsibility on you, because you are no longer a tribe, you are the State of Israel, just like me, and you influence the Israeli experience just like me, if not more. You are the lord of the land today.”
For only two years, the government held Netanyahu fired ministers Lapid and Livni and accused them of trying to make a political ‘putsch’, dissolving the Knesset and announcing a new election date.
Center Party with a right-wing leaning – “Just not Bibi”
Lapid led the next election under the title “War on Corruption” he refused to sit in the government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu and declared that he is running for prime minister, he declared that Yesh Atid is a center-right party and even spoke out against left-wing organizations during the campaign. He received only 11 seats and remained in the opposition where he served as ‘foreign minister on his own’, he flew a lot abroad and was even fined by the ethics committee for excessive absence from the Knesset.
“From enemy to lover”
Yair Lapid began his career in politics riding the wave of hatred for the ultra-Orthodox public, he accused the ultra-Orthodox of extortion and evasion and during his tenure as finance minister hit the pocket of ultra-Orthodox families, remembered from all his patronizing and condescending call towards MK Moshe Gafni I will rehabilitate you “he shouted at Shas chairman Aryeh Deri.
In the subsequent elections, Lapid realized that if he ever wanted to be prime minister he owed good relations with the ultra-Orthodox, he moderated, attended conferences and even wore a tallit and tefillin at the Western Wall, declared himself a believer and tried to soften. In its place to the space it left and took from it a very considerable amount of voters.
Except for Litzman who never forgave him and would shake the suit after every touch of Lapid, most of the ultra-Orthodox did forgive him and since Lapid will do what is good for him politically, the ultra-Orthodox Knesset members try to make sure he does not hurt the ultra-Orthodox. MK Gafni, for example, is not prevented from maintaining good relations with him for the day of the order.
Yair Lapid at the Western Wall – in order to be prime minister, he will also be willing to wear a shtreimel // Photo: Yonatan Zindel Flash 90
“Blue and white”
Although no less than four elections have taken place since then, only three years have passed. In 2019, an egalitarian political partnership matured in the center-left camp, Yair Lapid and former chief of staff Bnei Gantz announced a joint run and rotation between them for prime minister, the party won a historic achievement, 35 seats but failed to form a government and the 21st Knesset was dissolved a month later Its establishment
In the subsequent elections, the party declined slightly and received 33 seats, but even then no government was formed and the Knesset went out for a third round of elections within a year.
In the current Knesset, the 24th returned to illuminate Yair Mazal, in an election campaign that revolves mainly around the question of whether Bibi or not Bibi an opportunity was created and Lapid agreed to give the prime minister to his “brother” in the past, Naftali Bennett in exchange for “betrayal” in the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu Left and right parties and even the RAAM party formed a government in Israel when Yair Lapid received a promise of rotation, the end we all know crack after crack were discovered in a coalition standing on chicken legs until the PM announced the dissolution of the government and the transfer of power to Yair Lapid who finally conquers the coveted target Prime Minister”.