Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid (Hebrew יאיר לפיד; born November 5, 1963 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli politician, journalist, author and actor. Since 2013 he is an Israeli finance minister.

Life

Yair Lapid is the son of Israeli novelist Shulamit Lapid and the Hungarian -born journalist, politician and former Shinui Israeli Justice Minister Joseph "Tommy" Lapid.

Journalistic career

In his career as a journalist, Lapid wrote for his maternal grandfather co-founded newspaper Ma'ariv, Yedioth Ahronoth and their rival and was known mainly as a presenter on Israeli television. He also wrote poems, songs, books and plays and worked as an actor. In January 2008, he acted as moderator of the weekly news program Ulpan Shishi, the flagship of the private television station Arutz 2 (channel 2, English: Channel 2).

Career as a politician

After four years at Ulpan Shishi and Channel 2 Yair Lapid announced on 8 January of 2012 to cease its activities for the TV station. At the same time he announced, like his father before him, a change in Israeli policy on. With its announcement Lapid was the adoption of a - supposedly tailored to him - bill in the Knesset before, the journalists should impose a half-to one-year waiting period before running for elective office.

In the past, Lapid called, inter alia, the adoption of a new constitution, an amendment to the electoral law, a reduction in military spending, a return of the Golan Heights to Syria as well as an extensive withdrawal from the West Bank.

It was expected that Yair Lapid own centrist party founded their potential first polls show - was estimated to 15 to 20 seats in the Knesset - mainly at the expense of the Kadima party. 3 May 2012 Yair Lapid submitted to the competent authority an application for inclusion in the list of antretenden in the elections to the next Knesset parties. The new liberal party bears the name Yesh Atid ( יש עתיד, There is a future ). Key points of the party program are among others Education, housing and health. In addition, a general conscription is provided without exceptions for devout Jews.

Yesh Atid arrived at the Knesset on 22 January 2013, 19 mandates to second place. In March 2013 Lapid was finance minister. Despite its promise to create a socially just society, including its budget for 2013/2014 cuts in many areas and tax increases that affect particularly the middle class and people with lower incomes.