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| Yair Lapid, smooth face of Israel's 'new normal' | Yair Lapid, smooth face of Israel's 'new normal' |
| (4 months later) | |
| Yair Lapid is well known to Israelis as a former television personality and columnist for the country's biggest-selling newspaper. But even after his stunning success in the Israeli election, and as potential kingmaker in coalition negotiations, he is a novice. | Yair Lapid is well known to Israelis as a former television personality and columnist for the country's biggest-selling newspaper. But even after his stunning success in the Israeli election, and as potential kingmaker in coalition negotiations, he is a novice. |
| Until he resigned last year, Lapid, 49, with his smooth good looks, easy manner, charming smile and knack of tuning into the issues most important to his many fans, was the presenter of a popular Friday evening television news talkshow. His weekly column for Yedioth Ahronoth also dwelt on "middle Israel" subjects: the high cost of living, political corruption and the "unequal sharing of the burden" – ie the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. | Until he resigned last year, Lapid, 49, with his smooth good looks, easy manner, charming smile and knack of tuning into the issues most important to his many fans, was the presenter of a popular Friday evening television news talkshow. His weekly column for Yedioth Ahronoth also dwelt on "middle Israel" subjects: the high cost of living, political corruption and the "unequal sharing of the burden" – ie the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. |
| Just over a year ago, he announced he was quitting journalism to launch a new political party intended to challenge the political establishment. Called Yesh Atid (There is a Future), it positioned itself in the centre of the Israeli political spectrum – which is further to the right than in most European countries. | Just over a year ago, he announced he was quitting journalism to launch a new political party intended to challenge the political establishment. Called Yesh Atid (There is a Future), it positioned itself in the centre of the Israeli political spectrum – which is further to the right than in most European countries. |
| Its main platform was: reform of the political system, an overhaul of education, the inclusion of the ultra-Orthodox in military service, and more economic help for small businesses and the squeezed middle class. People who voted for Yesh Atid had voted in favour of "normalcy", he told campaign workers in the early hours of Wednesday. | Its main platform was: reform of the political system, an overhaul of education, the inclusion of the ultra-Orthodox in military service, and more economic help for small businesses and the squeezed middle class. People who voted for Yesh Atid had voted in favour of "normalcy", he told campaign workers in the early hours of Wednesday. |
| Lapid steered his new party hard away from foreign policy and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, only making vague calls for the resumption of talks while insisting Jerusalem would never be divided as the capital of two states. But now he has acknowledged that Israel is "facing a world that is liable to ostracise us because of the deadlock in the peace process". | Lapid steered his new party hard away from foreign policy and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, only making vague calls for the resumption of talks while insisting Jerusalem would never be divided as the capital of two states. But now he has acknowledged that Israel is "facing a world that is liable to ostracise us because of the deadlock in the peace process". |
| Yossi Verter, of the liberal daily Haaretz, wrote: "Yair Lapid's victory is the victory of modern politics, the politics of the internet and reality shows. He's undoubtedly a nice, well-meaning guy. But his experience begins and ends with presenting television shows and writing scripts and newspaper columns." | Yossi Verter, of the liberal daily Haaretz, wrote: "Yair Lapid's victory is the victory of modern politics, the politics of the internet and reality shows. He's undoubtedly a nice, well-meaning guy. But his experience begins and ends with presenting television shows and writing scripts and newspaper columns." |
| That, wrote Verter, was about to change. "In another month, he's liable to find himself in the cabinet room reading intelligence and defence material that he didn't even know existed." | That, wrote Verter, was about to change. "In another month, he's liable to find himself in the cabinet room reading intelligence and defence material that he didn't even know existed." |
| One of Lapid's strengths with the electorate was his political heritage. His father, Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, was a popular though abrasive politician who led the secular, liberal (though now defunct) party Shinui. Lapid Sr served as minister of justice in the 2001-06 government of Ariel Sharon. | One of Lapid's strengths with the electorate was his political heritage. His father, Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, was a popular though abrasive politician who led the secular, liberal (though now defunct) party Shinui. Lapid Sr served as minister of justice in the 2001-06 government of Ariel Sharon. |
| Tommy Lapid fought hard for secular interests in Israel, and was not afraid of strong criticism of the policies of his own government. During a wave of home demolitions by the Israeli military in Gaza, he said television images of an old Palestinian woman picking through rubble for medicine had reminded him of his grandmother, who died in the Holocaust. | Tommy Lapid fought hard for secular interests in Israel, and was not afraid of strong criticism of the policies of his own government. During a wave of home demolitions by the Israeli military in Gaza, he said television images of an old Palestinian woman picking through rubble for medicine had reminded him of his grandmother, who died in the Holocaust. |
| His son has yet to prove his mettle on the political stage. During the three-month election campaign, wrote Aluf Benn, Haaretz's editor in chief, Lapid "adapted his messages to voters' interests. His strategy was to find the path of least resistance." | His son has yet to prove his mettle on the political stage. During the three-month election campaign, wrote Aluf Benn, Haaretz's editor in chief, Lapid "adapted his messages to voters' interests. His strategy was to find the path of least resistance." |
| Dimi Reider wrote on the +972 blog that Lapid had "avoided taking any remotely controversial stand on almost any issue … Lapid is risk-averse and lacks a political programme or vision." | Dimi Reider wrote on the +972 blog that Lapid had "avoided taking any remotely controversial stand on almost any issue … Lapid is risk-averse and lacks a political programme or vision." |
| Nevertheless, he won the support of almost one in six Israeli voters, a legacy of the massive social justice protests that swept the country 18 months ago. Now Binyamin Netanyahu, the leader of the biggest party after the election, is almost certain to invite him to join a coalition government. | Nevertheless, he won the support of almost one in six Israeli voters, a legacy of the massive social justice protests that swept the country 18 months ago. Now Binyamin Netanyahu, the leader of the biggest party after the election, is almost certain to invite him to join a coalition government. |
| But Lapid will want assurances that his agenda of socioeconomic reform and "sharing the burden" will be at the heart of the next government's policies. In his speech at his campaign headquarters on Tuesday night, he said: "I hope to change things for the better. For 30 years, this country has been about left versus right. Now we want to change things on the inside: national service, education, housing, a middle class that cannot finish the month." | But Lapid will want assurances that his agenda of socioeconomic reform and "sharing the burden" will be at the heart of the next government's policies. In his speech at his campaign headquarters on Tuesday night, he said: "I hope to change things for the better. For 30 years, this country has been about left versus right. Now we want to change things on the inside: national service, education, housing, a middle class that cannot finish the month." |
| Joining Netanyahu is not Lapid's only option in the coming days and weeks, which will be dominated by labyrinthine coalition negotiations. | Joining Netanyahu is not Lapid's only option in the coming days and weeks, which will be dominated by labyrinthine coalition negotiations. |
| "Lapid has two choices," wrote Shalom Yerushalmi in Ma'ariv. "He can either join the government and save it, for all intents and purposes, and possibly the country as well, or he can head an opposition with 59 seats, and fight Netanyahu as strongly as possible and wait for him to fall … Wow. What responsibility on the shoulders of a person who only a year and a half ago was a television host and had a column in the newspaper." | "Lapid has two choices," wrote Shalom Yerushalmi in Ma'ariv. "He can either join the government and save it, for all intents and purposes, and possibly the country as well, or he can head an opposition with 59 seats, and fight Netanyahu as strongly as possible and wait for him to fall … Wow. What responsibility on the shoulders of a person who only a year and a half ago was a television host and had a column in the newspaper." |
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