Former TV news anchor Yair Lapid, dubbed the “prom king” of Israeli politics, left journalism for politics last year.
Known for his good looks and famous father, who is a former deputy prime minister, Mr. Lapid is running an Obama-esque campaign based on his slogan “We have come to change.” Yesh Atid, the name of the party he started in April, means “There is a future.”
After losing early momentum, Lapid’s party now looks likely to pick up between six and 10 seats in the new Knesset. Lapid has not ruled out joining Netanyahu as a coalition partner, with a possible minister position for himself.
Like Labor, Lapid’s party has stayed quiet on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and has focused mainly on socioeconomic issues. Lapid has particularly criticized the amount of government funding for ultra-Orthodox schools that train future rabbis in traditional religious texts.
