Yair Lapid
Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician of the centrist Yesh Atid party and a former journalist who has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2023, having previously served in that role from 2020 to 2021. He had also previously served as the prime minister of Israel from 1 July to 29 December 2022, the second alternate prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett from 2021 to 2022, and also as the Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from 2013 to 2014. He is also the leader of Yesh Atid since the party's founding in 2012.
Standing...
Stories...
Sep 23, 2026
Lean Right
The opposition leader continues to criticize the government's handling of the hostage crisis and the economy.
Likud sees Lapid as an opportunist who would surrender to Hamas and abandon the right's red lines on Jerusalem and the settlements, making him a useful foil for rallying the base.
Sep 23, 2026
Center
Yesh Atid is preparing for the October 27 election with a judicial plan of its own after Likud refused to answer questions about its judicial agenda.
Lapid's strategy is to make the election a referendum on the Supreme Court and the Judicial Selection Committee, betting that the anti-overhaul majority from 2023 still holds.
Sep 23, 2026
Lean Left
Lapid is leading opposition coordination against the annexation bills and has called for a no-confidence vote.
Center-left sees him as a necessary partner but still blames Yesh Atid for past failures to block Netanyahu and for drifting right on security.
Sep 23, 2026
Far Left
Lapid is positioning Yesh Atid as the alternative to Netanyahu while supporting the war's military objectives.
Hadash criticizes Lapid for offering no real opposition to the occupation and for treating Arab citizens as a demographic problem, not partners.
Sep 22, 2026
Center
As Yesh Atid leader, he is positioned to lead the opposition against the Netanyahu government as new immigration from Russia and Ukraine adds over 100,000 potential liberal voters for the next election.
Lapid's Yesh Atid is the natural home for Russian and Ukrainian immigrants with liberal values and for voters frustrated by the government's neglect of the periphery and its reliance on religious right parties.
Sep 22, 2026
Lean Left
Lapid has been the most visible opposition voice calling for early elections and a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures.
The left appreciates his energy but distrusts his willingness to sit in a narrow right-leaning government, and many Labor voters still see him as a rival more than an ally.
Sep 22, 2026
Far Left
Lapid criticizes the government's handling of the war but remains vague on Palestinian rights and refuses to sit with Arab parties.
Hadash sees Lapid as a centrist enabler of the occupation who prefers Netanyahu's fall over meaningful partnership with Arab parties.
Sep 20, 2026
Lean Right
As opposition leader, Lapid's Yesh Atid party remains critical of Netanyahu's handling of hostages and Gaza.
Likud sees Lapid as a weak alternative who would capitulate to international pressure, unlike Netanyahu's steadfast leadership.
Sep 20, 2026
Center
As Yesh Atid leader, he is the central opposition figure pressing the case on Netanyahu's security failures and the Haredi draft enforcement collapse.
Yesh Atid's base expects him to present a clear alternative to Netanyahu, focusing on security accountability, liberal values, and equal burden of service.
Sep 20, 2026
Lean Left
Lapid is leading the opposition but faces criticism for not offering a clear alternative or unifying the anti-Netanyahu bloc.
Labor/Meretz respects his opposition role but is frustrated by his centrism and refusal to fully align with the left.