Passing of the budget makes Yair Lapid Israel’s new dominant politician

With the state budget approved, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is now preparing for the moment when he takes over the leadership from Bennett

WITH THE STATE BUDGET approved, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is now preparing for the moment when he takes over premiership from his coalition partner Naftali Bennett.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is a busy man. This week for instance, he met in Jerusalem with the US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and then spoke on the phone with the new Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

In both meetings he spoke not just about bilateral relations and cooperation, but also about Israel’s strategic interests. Lapid’s associates say he is perfectly at ease in his current position of Israel’s No. 1 statesperson and diplomat.

The coalition agreement between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Lapid stipulates that Lapid will take over premiership after two years. And so, barring major, unforeseen changes, Lapid will enter the Prime Minister’s chambers in around a year and a half.

The passage of the state budget on November 4 brought Lapid even closer to the elevated position he coveted ever since he abandoned a splendid television career to enter politics.

If the budget had failed, the so-called Change Government would have fallen apart together with the rotation agreement. But now, under almost all circumstances, Lapid will become the State of Israel’s next prime minister.

In political terms, we could say that Bennett’s time started running out from the moment the budget was approved.

FULL STORY Budget approval makes Yair Lapid Israel’s new dominant politician (Al-Monitor)