Yair Lapid (Hebrew: יָאִיר לַפִּיד, IPA: [jaˈʔiʁ laˈpid]; born 5 November 1963) is an Israeli politician of the centrist Yesh Atid party, and a former journalist.

[3] He was also recognized in 2013 as one of the leading Foreign Policy Global Thinkers,[4] and ranked as one of Time magazine's 100 "Most Influential People in the World".

[8] 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.

His maternal grandfather David Giladi, originally from Transylvania (now Romania), was a writer and journalist who was among the founders of the newspaper Maariv.

He attended high school at the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, but struggled with learning disabilities and dropped out without earning a bagrut certificate.

[34] In January 2012, controversy arose after Lapid was admitted by Bar-Ilan University into a doctorate program, studying towards a PhD in hermeneutics.

Lapid, who had failed to complete high school, was admitted to the university based on his extra-academic credentials and career in journalism and writing.

[40] A few days after Yesh Atid's registration, in a surprise move, Benjamin Netanyahu formed a national unity government.

[42] Only nine months later, a survey was published showing a continuing trend of decreasing popularity, with 75% of those polled claiming to be disappointed by his performance, and his party achieved only 10 seats in the Knesset, as opposed to the 19 it got at the beginning of the year.

[47] In 2016, Lapid presented his platform, the "Seven Point Plan for Israel", which included a robust security doctrine, a regional conference with Arab states based on the necessity of separating from the Palestinians, reforms of the political system to clean up corruption, the State of Israel that strikes a balance between its Jewish and democratic character, a strengthened law enforcement system, an economy propelled forward by innovation, and increased emphasis on education and science.

The "Nachshon Plan", unveiled in 2017, stipulates that any person found guilty of corruption will be banned from serving in public office.

[50] In the April 2019 and September 2019 elections, Yesh Atid joined the centrist Blue and White coalition headed by Benny Gantz.

[55] On 13 May his path to being Prime Minister was further complicated when Naftali Bennett reportedly decided against joining a Lapid government due to the ongoing military conflict with Gaza.

[61] Several weeks later Lapid inaugurated Israel's embassy in Abu Dhabi, in what was the first official visit of the country by a member of the Israeli Government.

[66] Lapid became the caretaker Prime Minister of Israel on 1 July 2022,[67] after the Knesset had voted to dissolve and call a snap election the previous day.

[69] During his term, Israel was involved in a series of clashes with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip dubbed "Operation Breaking Dawn".

[72] On 10 October 2022, Lapid "strongly" condemned "Russian attacks on the civilian population in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine" during strikes on energy infrastructure that killed at least 11 people.

[77] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed that opposition parties Yesh Atid and National Unity enter an emergency unity government amid the Gaza war,[78] after Leader of the Opposition Lapid urged Nethanyahu put "aside our differences and form an emergency, narrow, professional government.

[80][81] After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Lapid said he supported Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's decision to impose a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, adding that Hamas was to blame.

[84] In June 2024, he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept Biden's proposal for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war.

[85] In December 2024, he was critical of the decision to close the Israeli embassy in Dublin saying that it would "give victory to antisemitism and anti-Israel organizations".

[88] His party's 2013 platform calls for an outline of "two states for two peoples", while maintaining the large Israeli settlement blocs, a united Jerusalem, and ensuring Israel's safety.

"[90] As part of a future peace agreement, Lapid said 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.

Lapid is not a left-winger—he has a particular sort of contempt for the Israeli left, born of the belief that leftists do not recognize the nature of the region in which they live.

[102] When Netanyahu granted the Chief Rabbinate a monopoly on conversion to Judaism and walked back his promise to Diaspora Jews in 2017 to build a state-recognized section at the Western Wall where men and women could pray equally, Lapid strongly criticised the decision, saying that the Israeli government alienated "senators, congressmen, the majority of the pro-Israel lobby, major donors, the people we turn to when we need help ensuring that Israel will get advanced weapons, that the military assistance will increase, that there will be sanctions on Iran".

He has upbraided Netanyahu for alienating American Democrats: "The fact that the [Israeli] government completely identifies with the conservative, evangelical faction of the Republican party is dangerous.

"[105] When Jewish Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch's request to attend the embassy opening in Jerusalem was ignored, Lapid said, "There's no way the government of Israel didn't notice this.

Some Haredim have declared that even at the risk of being criminals, they will continue in their Jewish studies and refuse to enlist or perform civilian service.

[108][109] Lapid denied that he was seeking to destroy the Haredi way of life, saying: "Not one of us wishes, Heaven forbid, to force hiloniyut [secularism] on you or to impose our version of Israeli identity.

"[120] Lapid's book Memories After My Death chronicles his father's life and observations as Israel evolved over its first sixty years.