Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid (Hebrew: יָאִיר לַפִּיד [jaˈʔiʁ laˈpid]; born 5 November 1963) is an Israeli politician and former journalist who has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2023, having previously served in that role from 2020 to 2021. He was prime minister of Israel from July to December 2022, the second alternate prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett from 2021 to 2022, and Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from 2013 to 2014. He has led the centrist Yesh Atid party since its creation in 2012. Before entering politics in 2012, Lapid was an author, TV presenter and news anchor. Yesh Atid, which he founded, became the second-largest party in the Knesset by winning 19 seats in its first legislative election in 2013. The greater-than-anticipated results contributed to Lapid's reputation as a leading centrist. From 2013 to 2014, following his coalition agreement with Likud, Lapid served as Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He serves on the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the Sub-Committee on Intelligence and the Security Services. On 17 May 2020, Lapid became the Leader of the Opposition, after the thirty-fifth government of Israel was sworn in. On 5 May 2021, he began talks with other parties to try to form a coalition government. On 2 June 2021, Lapid informed Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that he had agreed to a rotation government with Naftali Bennett and was prepared to replace the incumbent prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The new government was sworn in on 13 June 2021. Lapid became the prime minister of Israel on 1 July 2022 after Bennett stepped down as prime minister following the dissolution of the Knesset. Lapid remained prime minister until a new government was formed after the November 2022...