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Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid is Chairman of the Yesh Atid party; member of the Blue and White parliamentary group in the 21st Knesset; former Minister of Finance and member of the Political-Security Cabinet.

Yair Lapid was born in Israel in 1963. He is married to Lihi and is father to Yoav, Lior and Yael. Lapid is the son of the late Yosef (Tommy) Lapid, of blessed memory, a journalist (and later director general of the Israel Broadcast Authority, Knesset member, deputy prime minister and minister of justice), and Shulamit Lapid, an author (“Valley of Strength” and “As a Broken Vessel”, among many others) and former chairperson of the Hebrew Writers Association. Brother to the late Michal and to Merav.

For many years, Lapid was a journalist, television presenter, creator and author. He has published 12 books that became best sellers, the most prominent being “Memories After My Death”, which he wrote about his late father. The book topped the best sellers list 100 times and was translated into other languages.

Prior to his entry into politics, Lapid was active in numerous social organizations, including the ALEH association to assist people with special needs; the Children at Risk Organization for children with autism, and the YRF association for renewal in education for disadvantaged youth. He also served as chair of the Miftan Safed Friends Association and taught citizenship in a school in Jaffa.

In 2012, Lapid announced his entry into politics and founded the Yesh Atid party, which he heads. Yesh Atid is a center party that is both Zionist and liberal. At the core of the party’s philosophy: Renewing Israel’s security concept; striving for a regional agreement and separation from the Palestinians, cleansing the political system and waging a war on corruption, integrating the values of Judaism and the values of democracy, strengthening the law enforcement system, propelling the Israeli economy and strengthening education and science in Israel.

Yesh Atid was the surprise of the 2013 general election, winning 543,458 votes and becoming the second largest party in the Knesset with 19 seats. The party held, in addition to the Finance portfolio, the Education portfolio, Health portfolio, Welfare portfolio and Science, Technology and Space portfolio.

In the elections for the 20th Knesset, Yesh Atid won 11 seats. The party continued to work for an equal army conscription law and for LGBT rights, and promoted issues related to security and public welfare.

In the elections for the 21st Knesset, Yesh Atid merged with the Israel Resilience and Telem parties to form the Blue and White faction, jointly led by Lapid and former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz. Blue and White won 35 Knesset seats in the elections and became the largest party in the Opposition. Lapid is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the Subcommittee for Intelligence, Secret Services, Captives and Missing Soldiers. In 2013, Lapid was ranked among the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine.