Yair Lapid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yair Lapid
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יאיר לפיד
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Official portrait, 2022
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| Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office 2 January 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| In office 17 May 2020 – 6 April 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Preceded by | Shelly Yachimovich (2019) |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| 14th Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 1 July 2022 – 29 December 2022 |
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| President | Isaac Herzog |
| Alternate | Naftali Bennett |
| Preceded by | Naftali Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| 2nd Alternate Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 13 June 2021 – 30 June 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Naftali Bennett |
| Preceded by | Benny Gantz |
| Succeeded by | Naftali Bennett |
| Leader of Yesh Atid | |
| Assumed office 1 May 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Member of the Knesset | |
| Assumed office 5 February 2013 |
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| Ministerial roles | |
| 2013–2014 | Minister of Finance |
| 2021–2022 | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 2013–2019 | Yesh Atid |
| 2019–2020 | Blue and White |
| 2020– | Yesh Atid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 November 1963 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Political party | Yesh Atid |
| Spouse | Lihi Lapid |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Tommy Lapid Shulamit Lapid |
| Occupation |
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Yair Lapid (Hebrew: יָאִיר לַפִּיד; born 5 November 1963) is an Israeli politician. He leads the centrist Yesh Atid party. Before politics, he was a journalist.
Lapid has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2023. He also held this role from 2020 to 2021. From July to December 2022, he served as the 14th Prime Minister of Israel. He was also the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2022. Earlier, he was Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014.
Lapid started his political career in 2012. His party, Yesh Atid, quickly became the second-largest in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in 2013. This success made him known as a key centrist leader.
Contents
- Early Life and Background
- Career in Journalism and Media
- Political Journey
- Political Ideas
- Awards and Recognition
- Published Works
- Images for kids
Early Life and Background
Yair Lapid was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. His father, Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, was a journalist and politician. His mother, Shulamit Lapid, is a novelist. His father's family came from Hungary and Serbia. His mother's grandfather was a writer and journalist.
Lapid grew up in Tel Aviv and London. He went to high school but left without getting a diploma. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a military reporter. After his military service, he worked as a reporter and wrote poetry.
Lapid has three children. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Lihi Lapid.
Career in Journalism and Media
In 1988, at 25, Lapid became an editor for a local newspaper. In 1991, he started writing a weekly column for national newspapers. Its name, "Where's the Money?", later became a political slogan.
In 1994, Lapid began working in television. He hosted popular talk shows on Israeli TV channels. He also acted in an Israeli film called Song of the Siren in 1997.
Lapid has written and published 12 books. These include thrillers, children's books, and novels. His book Memories After My Death is a biography of his father. He also wrote songs for many Israeli musicians. In 2008, his first play was performed in a theater.
Political Journey
Starting Yesh Atid and the 2013 Election
On January 8, 2012, Yair Lapid announced he was leaving journalism to enter politics. On April 30, he officially started his party, "Yesh Atid" (which means "There's a Future").
In the January 2013 election, Yesh Atid won 19 seats. This made it the second-largest party in the 19th Knesset. This was a bigger success than many expected.
Minister of Finance (2013–2014)
After the 2013 election, Yesh Atid joined the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Lapid became the Minister of Finance in March 2013. In December 2014, Prime Minister Netanyahu removed Lapid from this role.
Yesh Atid in Opposition (2015–2021)
In the 2015 election, Yesh Atid won 11 seats. The party then served in the opposition, meaning they were not part of the ruling government.
In 2016, Lapid shared his "Seven Point Plan for Israel." This plan focused on national security, separating from Palestinians, fighting corruption, and improving the economy and education. Lapid and Yesh Atid worked to fight corruption in Israel.
First Time as Opposition Leader (2020–2021)
In the April 2019 and September 2019 elections, Yesh Atid joined the Blue and White group. After the 2020 election, Yesh Atid left this group and became an opposition party. Lapid then served as Leader of the Opposition.
Rotation Government (2021–2022)
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In May 2021, Lapid was asked to try and form a new government. After talks with other parties, he agreed to form a "rotation government" with Naftali Bennett. This meant they would take turns being Prime Minister. The new government was sworn in on June 13, 2021. Lapid became the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Alternate Prime Minister
As Foreign Minister, Lapid worked on Israel's relationships with other countries. He opened Israel's embassy in Abu Dhabi and visited Rabat to open Israel's embassy there. He also announced that Israel was restarting diplomatic ties with Sweden.
Prime Minister of Israel
Lapid became the Prime Minister of Israel on July 1, 2022. This happened after the Knesset voted to dissolve, leading to a new election. He was a caretaker Prime Minister until a new government was formed after the November 2022 election. He served for 181 days, making him Israel's shortest-serving permanent Prime Minister.
During his time as Prime Minister, Israel had some clashes with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. This was called "Operation Breaking Dawn." Lapid also spoke out against Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.
Second Time as Opposition Leader (2022–Present)
In the November 2022 election, Yesh Atid won 24 seats. A new government was formed by Benjamin Netanyahu, who became Prime Minister again. Lapid became the Leader of the Opposition for the second time in January 2023.
Lapid took part in protests against proposed changes to Israel's legal system in 2023. After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Lapid supported Israel's actions and blamed Hamas. In March 2024, Lapid won his party's first leadership election. In June 2024, he asked Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire proposal for the Israel–Hamas war.
Political Ideas
Lapid believes Israel should restart peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. His party's plan supports "two states for two peoples." This means Israelis and Palestinians would each have their own state. He believes this is important for Israel to remain a Jewish and democratic country. He also thinks that major Israeli settlements should stay part of Israel.
Lapid supports Israel's control over the Golan Heights. He believes this area is important for Israel's security, especially with Iran's presence in Syria.
Religion and State
Lapid supports more public transportation on Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest). He also strongly supports civil marriage in Israel. Currently, marriage for Jews is controlled by religious authorities. Civil marriage would allow more people to marry in Israel, including those not recognized by religious law.
Israel and Jewish Communities Abroad
Lapid believes Israel should have strong ties with Jewish communities around the world. He has criticized decisions that he feels push away Jewish people in other countries. He says Israel should recognize all types of Judaism.
He also believes in a strong relationship between the US and Israel. He has said that Israel should not only rely on one political group in the US.
Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox Jews)
Lapid believes all Israeli citizens should share the "burden" of military or civil service. This includes Haredim, who have traditionally been exempt. He says he does not want to change their way of life but believes everyone should contribute.
Stance on Anti-Israel Bias
Lapid is against the BDS movement, which tries to hurt Israel's economy. He believes Israel needs to defend its reputation. He has also accused the United Nations of being unfair to Israel. He points to many UN resolutions that criticize Israel, saying it shows bias.
He has also spoken out against claims that Poland was fully responsible for the Holocaust. He believes history should be remembered accurately.
Awards and Recognition
In April 2013, Time magazine named Lapid one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." In May, The Jerusalem Post listed him as the "Most Influential Jew in the World." He was also recognized as a "Foreign Policy Global Thinker" in 2013.
Published Works
- The Double Head: thriller (1989)
- Yoav's Shadow: children's book (1992)
- One-Man Play: novel (1993)
- Elbi – A Knight's Story: children's book (1998)
- The Sixth Riddle: thriller (2001)
- Standing in a Row: collection of newspaper columns (2005)
- The Second Woman: thriller (2006)
- Sunset in Moscow: thriller (2007)
- Memories After My Death: Biography (2010)
- A Journey to Our Future (2017)
Images for kids
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Prime Minister Lapid with U.S. President Joe Biden, 2022
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Lapid with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C., 8 April 2024
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