Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician and former journalist who is the chairman of the centrist Yesh Atid party, and became the 14th prime minister of Israel on 1 July 2022. He previously served as the alternate prime minister of Israel and minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2022. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2021, and Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014.
Before entering politics in 2012, Lapid was an author, TV presenter and news anchor. The centrist Yesh Atid party, 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. In 2013, Lapid ranked first on the list of the "Most Influential Jews in the World" by The Jerusalem Post. He was also recognized in 2013 as one of the leading Foreign Policy Global Thinkers, and ranked as one of Time magazine's 100 "Most Influential People in the World". 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 will remain the prime minister until a new government is formed after the next election.
