Yesh Atid

For the former political party led by Alex Goldfarb, see Atid (political party).
Yesh Atid
יש עתיד‎
Leader Yair Lapid
Founded January 2012
Ideology Liberalism[1]
Secularism[2]
Economic liberalism[3][4]
Liberal Zionism[5]
Political position Centre[3] to centre-left[6]
Religion Secular[1]
International affiliation None
Knesset
11 / 120
Election symbol
פה
Website
www.yeshatid.org.il
Politics of Israel
Political parties
Elections

Yesh Atid (Hebrew: יֵשׁ עָתִיד‎, lit. There is a Future) is a political party founded by former journalist Yair Lapid in 2012 that seeks to represent what it considers the center of Israeli society: the secular middle class.[7] It focuses primarily on civic, socioeconomic, and governance issues,[8] including government reform and ending military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox.[9][10]

In 2013, Yesh Atid placed second in the general election, winning 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset,[11] far more than polls had predicted it would win.[12] It then entered into a coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud. In the following election, it refused to back Netanyahu and said it would join the opposition.

History

On January 2012 TV anchor Yair Lapid announced that he was leaving his journalism career in order to enter politics.[13]

In early 2010 speculation arose in the Israeli media concerning the possibility that Israeli journalist and television figure Yair Lapid, who at the time worked as a news anchor at Channel 2, would end his career in journalism and begin a career in Israeli politics. Initially Lapid dismissed these reports.[14][15] The Knesset initiated legislation to lessen the influx of Israeli journalists running for a position by prohibiting them as candidates in the first year after they ended their journalist careers.[16]

Despite widespread interest in Lapid, he declined to be interviewed. He gained support through social networks, primarily his Facebook page. Among his official announcements, Lapid said he would not join Kadima or the Israeli Labor Party. In addition, Lapid announced that he would work to change the system of government, have all Israelis conscripted to serve time in the army, and would work to change the Israeli matriculation programme. In early January 2012, Lapid officially announced that he would quit journalism in order to enter politics, and that he would lead a new party.[13][17]

In April 2012, the proposed new party was reported to be named "Atid". Lapid said that the party would not have any members who were legislators or Members of Knesset (MKs). On 29 April Lapid registered his party as "Yesh Atid", after the name "Atid" was rejected. On 1 May, the first party conference was held, in which Lapid revealed the "Lapid Programme" ("תוכנית לפיד"): military service for all Israelis.[18] According to the party's rules, Lapid would determine the candidates who would run for a seat in the Knesset, as he would be the one to make the final decisions on political issues and is guaranteed the chairman position of the party during the term of the 19th Knesset and the 20th Knesset. The party was capped at raising 13.5 million shekels for the 2013 Israeli legislative election.[19]

19th Knesset

In the election held on 22 January 2013, Yesh Atid won the second-most number of Knesset seats, with 19 seats.[20] The party was particularly strong in wealthy locales.[21] Yesh Atid's success was viewed as the largest surprise of the election, as pre-election polling gave the party only 11 seats. He joined Netanyahu's governing coalition. Although he focused mostly on domestic and economic concerns of social justice, he had criticized Netanyahu's foreign policy and said he would not sit in a government that is not serious about pursuing peace.[22]

Lapid endorsed Netanyahu for prime minister after the election and on 15 March 2013 the party signed a coalition agreement with the ruling Likud party.

Almost one year after the election, a survey was published showing a continuing trend of decreasing popularity of the party which would only achieve 10 seats in the Knesset as opposed to the 19 party members who were elected, if elections were held at that time, and with 75% of those polled claiming to be disappointed by Lapid's performance.[23] The finance ministry post came with budgetary handcuffs (cutting spending, raising taxes, and confronting the money demands of the defense ministry) that affected Lapid's popularity.[24]

20th Knesset

Run-up to the 2015 election

Before elections in 2015, Lapid separately courted both Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah) and Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) in an effort to form electoral alliances with their respective parties. Both efforts were unsuccessful: Livni formed an alliance with Labor and Kahlon preferred to run alone.[25][26] On 8 February 2015, Yesh Atid MK Shai Piron said the party would prefer a coalition led by Isaac Herzog and Livni than one by Netanyahu.[27]

Lapid's criticism while campaigning was mostly of Netanyahu and his Likud party.[24][27] His campaign continued to emphasize the economy over national security,[28] although he has somewhat departed from his previous almost-exclusive focus on domestic policy and become more vocal, and left leaning, on the peace process.[29] The party focused on middle-class needs and in this respect was very similar to Kahlon's new Kulanu party.[30] However, Lapid's main electoral base is the European-oriented upper-middle class,[31][32] while Kahlon targeted the lower-middle class.[33][34] Both Yesh Atid and Kulanu are considered centrist parties,[35] though Yesh Atid, aligned with the Labor-led Zionist Union and Meretz,[36][37][38] is sometimes considered left leaning, and Kulanu, a "swing" party not aligned with any bloc,[39] is sometimes considered right leaning.[40][41]

Aftermath

Yesh Atid won 11 seats in the 20th Knesset, making it the fourth-largest faction.

Party list for the 2013 election

1. Yair Lapid
2. Shai Piron
3. Yael German
4. Meir Cohen
5. Yaakov Peri
6. Ofer Shelah
7. Aliza Lavie
8. Yoel Razvozov
9. Adi Koll
10. Karin Elharar

11. Mickey Levy
12. Shimon Solomon
13. Ruth Calderon
14. Pnina Tamano-Shata
15. Rina Frenkel
16. Yifat Kariv
17. Dov Lipman
18. Boaz Toporovsky
19. Ronen Hoffman
20. Tal El-Al

Party list for the 2015 election

The following is the candidate list for the 2015 election.[42][43]

1. Yair Lapid
2. Shai Piron
3. Yael German
4. Meir Cohen
5. Yaakov Peri
6. Ofer Shelach
7. Haim Yellin
8. Karin Elharar
9. Yoel Razvozov
10. Aliza Lavie

11. Mickey Levy
12. Elazar Stern
13. Pnina Tamano-Shata
14. Boaz Toporovsky (Dov Lipman was initially listed as "not final" for this spot)
15. Ruth Calderon
16. Yifat Kariv
17. Dov Lipman
18. Ronen Hoffman
19. Zehorit Sorek

Platform

In the application submitted to the party registrar, Lapid listed the party's eight goals. According to this statement, these include:[44][45]

  1. Changing the priorities in Israel, with an emphasis on civil life – education, housing, health, transport and policing, as well as improving the condition of the middle class.
  2. Changing the system of government.
  3. Equality in education and the draft—all Israeli school students must be taught essential classes, all Israelis will be drafted into the Army, and all Israeli citizens will be encouraged to seek work, including the ultra-Orthodox sector and the Arab sector.
  4. Fighting political corruption, including corruption in government in the form of institutions like “Minister without portfolio”, opting for a government of 18 ministers at most, fortifying the rule of law and protecting the status of the High Court of Justice.
  5. Growth and economic efficiency—creating growth engines as a way of fighting poverty, combating red tape, removing barriers, improving the transportation system, reducing the cost of living and housing costs, and improving social mobility through assistance to small businesses.
  6. Legislation of Education Law in cooperation with teachers' unions, eliminating most of the matriculation exams, raising the differential education index and increasing school autonomy.
  7. Enact a constitution to regulate tense relations between population groups in Israel.
  8. Striving for peace according to an outline of "two states for two peoples", while maintaining the large Israeli settlement blocs and ensuring the safety of Israel.

Other positions

Yesh Atid is also in favor of

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Birkenstock, Günther (24 January 2013), Yair Lapid, the big winner in Israel's elections, DW, retrieved 26 January 2013
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jodi Rudoren (January 29, 2013). "Israeli Secularists Appear to Find Their Voice". The New York Times. p. A4. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Evans, Judith (23 January 2013), Israeli election: Live Report, AFP, retrieved 26 January 2013
  4. ↑ Editorial (2013-03-17). "A capitalist government". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2015-02-02.
  5. ↑ Carlo Strenger, Israel today: a society without a center, Haaretz (March 7, 2014)
  6. ↑ Samuel G. Freedman, Strains Grow Between Israel and Many Jews in the U.S., New York Times (February 6, 2015)
  7. ↑ Elise Garofalo (January 21, 2013). "Israeli Election Primer – What You Should Know". PBS Newshour. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Yesh Atid The Israeli Democracy Institute.
  9. ↑ Joshua Mitnick (2015-02-19). "Israel elections 101: Can country risk another fragile coalition?". Christian Science Monitor.
  10. ↑ Vote Israel | Yesh Atid 2005
  11. ↑ Kershner, Isabel (2013-01-23). "Charismatic Leader Helps Israel Turn Toward the Center". The New York Times. pp. A10. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Key parties in Israeli elections". Associated Press. January 22, 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ophir Bar-Zohar; Jonathan Lis; Gili Izikovich; Nati Toker (8 January 2012). "Veteran Israeli anchor Yair Lapid leaves Channel 2 to enter politics". Haaretz. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  14. ↑ Judy Shalom (22 June 2011). יאיר לפיד: "אני בדרך לפוליטיקה? זו שטות מוחלטת" [Yair Lapid: "I'm in politics? Complete nonsense"] (in Hebrew). Globes. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  15. ↑ Pinchas Wolf; Emily Grunzweig (7 November 2011). האם מתגבשת רשימה של יאיר לפיד לכנסת? [Is a list of Yair Lapid to the Knesset forming?] (in Hebrew). Walla. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  16. ↑ Ophir Bar-Zohar (20 December 2011). ניסיון להשיב את "חוק לפיד" להליך החקיקה [Attempt to restore the "Lapid Law" to proceed legislatively]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  17. ↑ Roz Shachnik (8 January 2012). "יאיר לפיד בדרך לפוליטיקה: פורש מחדשות 2" [Yair Lapid in politics: news Channel 2]. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  18. ↑ Ophir Bar-Zohar; Yair Ettinger (1 May 2012). לפיד מציג את משנתו [Lapid presents his changes]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  19. ↑ Hoffman, Gil (15 April 2012). "Yair Lapid looks to the future with new Atid party". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  20. ↑ Hoffman, Gil (23 January 2013). "Left and Right in dead heat with most votes counted". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  21. ↑ Eytan Avriel (27 January 2013). "The wealthy minions of Yair Lapid". Haaretz.
  22. ↑ Josef Federman (May 19, 2013). "Israeli seeks interim deal with Palestinians". Associated Press.
  23. ↑ "75% dissatisfied with Lapid's performance". Globes. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Aron Heller (2015-02-09). "Rising star or flash in pan? Yair Lapid seeks 2nd chance to be fresh face of Israel's future". Associated Press via U.S. News & World Report.
  25. ↑ Moran Azulay (2014-12-09). "Lapid follows Herzog's lead and courts Livni". Ynetnews.
  26. ↑ Yossi Verter (2015-01-24). "New Israel-U.S. spat is good news for Netanyahu". Haaretz.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Yesh Atid MK: We'll Prefer Herzog Over Netanyahu
  28. ↑ Jodi Rudoren, Israeli Center-Left Leader Seeks Path Forward, New York Times, 27 March 2015
  29. ↑ Ben Sales, Yair Lapid, Israel’s centrist candidate, hopes for staying power, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (March 2, 2015)
  30. ↑ Uri Misgav (2015-02-09). "Election campaigns: Parties are not really fighting for voters". Haaretz.
  31. ↑ Dan Perry (March 18, 2015). "AP Analysis: Israel likely headed toward conflict, isolation". Associated Press.
  32. ↑ "Israeli Elections: Labor's Challenge". Brookings Institute. 16 January 2015.
  33. ↑ Israeli pollsters struggle to keep pace with social media
  34. ↑ Israel elections 101: How fractures on political right could hurt Netanyahu
  35. ↑ Jeremy Ashkenas, In Netanyahu’s Next Knesset, a More Compatible Coalition, New York Times, 19 March 2015
  36. ↑ Natan Sachs, How Bibi pulled it off, Brookings Institution, 18 March 2015
  37. ↑ Bibi beats Bougie, The Economist, 17 March 2015
  38. ↑ Jodi Rudoren, LIVE COVERAGE: Israel's Elections: Results and Analysis: In Israel, There Are Different Ways to Count to 61
  39. ↑ Exit polls in Israel's election, Associated Press, 17 March 2015
  40. ↑ Scott Bobb, Netanyahu to Form New Government After Election Win, Voice of America, 18 March 2015
  41. ↑ Ben Birnbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu Will Not Win Another Election, The New Republic, March 18, 2015
  42. ↑ Yesh Atid Announces Knesset List, Jewish Press News Briefs, January 27, 2015.
  43. ↑ Gil Hoffman, No surprises as Lapid reveals list: Lipman remains 17th; Orthodox Lesbian 19th, Jerusalem Post, January 26, 2015.
  44. ↑ ברשימת מייסדי מפלגתו של לפיד: סופר וג'ודוקא [On the list of the founders of the party of Lapid: writer and judoka] (in Hebrew). nana10. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  45. ↑ Yori Yanover (4 May 2012). "Newest Israeli Party Includes Chairman's Makeup Artist, Karate Trainer". The Jewish Press. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  46. ↑ Joshua Mitnick (2011). "Can real religious pluralism take hold in Israel?". Australian Reform Zionist Organization. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  47. ↑ Nathan Jeffay (February 8, 2013). "Advocates for Religious Pluralism in Israel Buoyed by Election Results". Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  48. ↑ Stewart Ain (March 6, 2013). "Religious Freedoms Could Expand In New Coalition". The Jewish Week (New York). Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  49. ↑ "Fewer ministers, and maybe no Kadima, in next coalition". The Times of Israel. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  50. ↑ "Israel 'Bromance' Bloc Hits Skids Over Gay Marriage". Jewish Daily Forward. March 7, 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  51. ↑ "A look at the makeup of the new Israeli government". Associated Press. March 14, 2013.
  52. ↑ Ruth Eglash (2014-11-17). "Political infighting fuels rumors of early elections in Israel". The Washington Post.

External links

Official website (Hebrew) (English)