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Regarding the diplomatic stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Lapid said that "Most of the blame belongs to the Palestinian side, and I am not sure that they as a people are ready to make peace with us."<ref>Gill Hoffman. [http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=261603 Yair Lapid: Palestinians not ready to make peace]. Jerusalem Post</ref> |
Regarding the diplomatic stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Lapid said that "Most of the blame belongs to the Palestinian side, and I am not sure that they as a people are ready to make peace with us."<ref>Gill Hoffman. [http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=261603 Yair Lapid: Palestinians not ready to make peace]. Jerusalem Post</ref> |
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In a May 19 2013 interview with [[New York Times]] corespondent Jodi Rudoren<ref><http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/world/middleeast/fresh-israeli-face-plays-down-political-decline.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0></ref>, Lapid Said that: |
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# ".. Israel should not change its policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank in order to revive the stalemated peace process" |
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# "..Jerusalem should not serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state" |
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# "..he would not stop the so-called “natural expansion” of settlements in the West Bank, nor curtail the financial incentives offered Israelis to move there" |
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# "..the large swaths of land known as East Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war and later annexed must stay Israeli because “we didn’t come here for nothing.”" |
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===Views on the Israeli Haredim=== |
===Views on the Israeli Haredim=== |
Revision as of 10:22, 25 May 2013
Template:Infobox member of the Knesset
Yair Lapid (Hebrew: יָאִיר לַפִּיד, born 5 November 1963) is the Israeli Minister of Finance and chairman of the Yesh Atid Party. Prior to his entry into politics in 2012, he was a journalist, author, TV presenter and news anchor.[1] The Yesh Atid Party, which he founded, became the second largest party in the Knesset after the first election it participated in. The surprising results of the 2013 election solidified his reputation as a leading moderate.
In March 2013, following his coalition agreement with Likud, he became the Israeli Minister of Finance.
Biography
Yair Lapid, born in Tel Aviv, is the son of journalist and politician Yosef "Tommy" Lapid and author Shulamit (Giladi) Lapid.[2][3] He has a sister, Merav, who is a clinical psychologist. Another sister, Michal, died in a car accident in 1984.[4]
He is married to journalist Lihi Lapid[5] and lives in the Tel Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv.[6] Lapid has three children.[7]
Education
As a teenager, Lapid struggled with learning disabilities, and dropped out of high school, and never earned a bagrut (high school matriculation certificate). In January 2012, controversy arose after Lapid was admitted by Bar-Ilan University into a doctorate program, studying towards a PhD in hermeneutics; this was in violation of rules stating that all doctoral candidates must hold BA. Lapid was admitted to the university based only on his extra-academic credentials. The Knesset Education Committee launched an investigation, and the Council for Higher Education cancelled the program under which Lapid was admitted, which allows students without a BA to study towards a doctorate.[8][9]
Journalism and media career
Lapid started his journalism career as a military correspondent for the IDF's weekly magazine, Ba-Mahaneh ("In the Camp"). [10] He also wrote for the mainstream daily Maariv. In 1988, he was appointed editor of the Tel Aviv local newspaper published by the Yedioth Ahronoth group. In 1991, he began writing a weekly column in a nationwide newspaper's weekend supplement, at first for Maariv and later on for its competitor, Yedioth Ahronoth. His column, called "Where's the Money?", became his slogan in seeking political office.[11]
In 1994, he began hosting the leading Friday evening talk show on Israel TV's Channel 1, and in that same year had an acting role in an Israeli film, “Song of The Siren.” He hosted a talk show on TV's Channel 3, and since 1999 has hosted a talk show on Channel 2. He has published seven books and written a drama series called “War Room” that was aired on Channel 2 in 2004.
In 2005, Lapid was voted the 36th-greatest Israeli of all time in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet.[12]
In January 2008, Lapid was the host of Ulpan Shishi ["Friday Studio"], the Friday night news-magazine of Channel 2. That year, his first play, The Right Age for Love, was performed by the Cameri Theater.
Political career
On 8 January 2012 Lapid announced that he would be leaving his journalism career in order to enter politics.[13] On 30 April 2012 Lapid formally registered his party, "Yesh Atid" (Hebrew: יש עתיד, lit. "There's a Future").[14] The move was aimed to coincide with the general expectation in Israel for early elections to be held in the early fall of 2012.
A few days after Yesh Atid's registration, in a surprise move, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a national unity government. It was then thought that Lapid's party would have to wait until late 2013 before it could participate in national elections. But in October 2012, following the departure of Kadima from Netanyahu's coalition over how to implement a Supreme Court decision ending the exemption from the military draft for the ultra-Orthodox, Netanyahu announced that elections would take place in late January 2013, affording Yesh Atid its first opportunity to run since its formation. In November 2012, Yesh Atid was polling an average of 11.6%, or 13–14 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The final results of the January election showed the party winning an unexpected 19 seats, making Yesh Atid the second-largest party in the 19th Knesset.[15]
Lapid was named Israel's finance minister on 15 March 2013.[16]
Views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Lapid said that he will demand a resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.[17] His party's platform calls for an outline of "two states for two peoples", while maintaining the large Israeli settlement blocks and ensuring the safety of Israel.[18] In January 2013, just days before the election, Lapid said he won't join a cabinet that stalls peace talks with Palestinian Authority, and added that the idea of a single country for both Israelis and Palestinians without a peace agreement would endanger the Jewish character of Israel. He said, "We're not looking for a happy marriage with the Palestinians, but for a divorce agreement we can live with."[citation needed] As part of a future peace agreement, Lapid said that the Palestinians would have to recognize that the large West Bank settlement blocs of Ariel, Gush Etzion and Ma'aleh Adumim would remain within the State of Israel.[19] According to Lapid, only granting Palestinians their own state could end the conflict and Jews and Arabs should live apart in two states, while Jerusalem should remain undivided under Israeli rule.[20][21]
Regarding the diplomatic stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Lapid said that "Most of the blame belongs to the Palestinian side, and I am not sure that they as a people are ready to make peace with us."[22]
In a May 19 2013 interview with New York Times corespondent Jodi Rudoren[23], Lapid Said that:
- ".. Israel should not change its policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank in order to revive the stalemated peace process"
- "..Jerusalem should not serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state"
- "..he would not stop the so-called “natural expansion” of settlements in the West Bank, nor curtail the financial incentives offered Israelis to move there"
- "..the large swaths of land known as East Jerusalem that Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war and later annexed must stay Israeli because “we didn’t come here for nothing.”"
Views on the Israeli Haredim
During the election campaign, Lapid spoke of "equal share of the burden" for all Israeli citizens. He said he would work to see it that all Israeli citizens, including the thousands of haredim who had up until that point been exempt from most civil service due the the Tal Law, be included in military and civil service.[24] [25]
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: novel (2010)
References
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0503/New-kind-of-Israeli-politician-Yair-Lapid-doesn-t-talk-about-Iran-Palestinians/%28page%29/2
- ^ In entering Israeli politics, Yair Lapid eyes force of socioeconomic protests
- ^ http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/lapid-shulamit
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/who-is-yair-lapid.premium-1.483284
- ^ Labor targets undecided female voters via kids
- ^ Is there a future for Yair Lapid?, Jerusalem Post
- ^ Charismatic Leader Helps Israel Turn Toward the Center, New York Times
- ^ http://www.timesofisrael.com/no-ba-means-no-phd-for-yair-lapid/
- ^ http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Knesset-Ctee-to-probe-Lapid-doctorate-affair
- ^ Popular Israeli anchorman quits TV, joins politics
- ^ Charismatic Leader Helps Israel Turn Toward the Center, New York Times
- ^ גיא בניוביץ' (June 20, 1995). "הישראלי מספר 1: יצחק רבין – תרבות ובידור". Ynet. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ "Veteran Israeli anchor Yair Lapid leaves Channel 2 to enter politics". Haaretz. January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "Lapid registers new party, 'Yesh Atid'". Jerusalem Post. April 29, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
- ^ "19th Knesset to see Right, Left virtually tied". ynet. January 22, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ "Ex-TV anchor Yair Lapid named as Israeli finance minister". Reuters. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ ‘Mishal Ham’ Talk show (Hebrew – ReshetTV) on 14:00 on YouTube
- ^ "Yesh Atid" national agenda – Hebrew (English version needed)
- ^ Revital Hovel. Yair Lapid says he opposes occupation, but will present platform in West Bank settlement. Haaretz. Oct.20, 2012
- ^ Israel’s rising star. The Economist
- ^ Yair Lapid Calls for Return to Peace Talks. Reuters. October 30, 2012
- ^ Gill Hoffman. Yair Lapid: Palestinians not ready to make peace. Jerusalem Post
- ^ <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/world/middleeast/fresh-israeli-face-plays-down-political-decline.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>
- ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4336131,00.html
- ^ http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/02/what-is-really-behind-the-share-the-burden-equally-crisis.html
External links
- Official website
- Yair Lapid on the Knesset website
- Yair Lapid at IMDb
- Lapid in his talk show on Arutz 2
- Israeli Known Host Talk About His Dad by Ynetnews
- A letter to the British academic (related to BUCU's call for an academic boycott of Israel)
- Yair Lapid speaks at Kiryat Ono College (Lapid's views on the Israeli religious community – English subtitles)
- Yair Lapid: Israel's new political star