Opinion
Israel's new political reality
Sima Kadmon
Published: 09.01.12, 09:34
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32 Talkbacks for this article
1. Cynical prostitution of the monopoly on TV
Sam   (01.09.12)
If Israel truly had an open and competitive TV market, and people with not only connections but talent could also host influential programs then there would be point. The public is harmed more than twice by people like Lapid, who in addition to demanding and receiving exorbitant salaries also use the position they have for personal gain. It is not that he doesn't belong in politics. His cheap cynicism and populism makes him a perfect succesor to Olmer and Livni. It is just that he should use a semi-public broadcast authority to propel his career.
2. Lapid the Left's Last Gasp
TheLeft'sLastGasp ,   Jerusalem Israel   (01.09.12)
Lapid may make a little blip in the political scene but in reality it will be the Left's last gasp or death rattle before it is consigned and well deservedly so to eternal oblivion.Demoraphics in the right of the political scene has made this a given. The mindless chase after the extremes of Western culture i.e no children & unhealthy lifestyles have made his voting pool marginal in Israel as opposed to the already large and healthy and growing camp of the right be they Haredi National Relgious or Traditional Jewish communities. .
3. Good
Tomer ,   Hod Hasharon, Israel   (01.09.12)
In contrast to Sam, I think Lapid's entry to politics will be a good thing. We sorely need some fresh ideas - witness the bunch of useless timeservers populating the Knesset at the moment. Populist or not, the public is fully aware of Lapid's views from reading his work in Yediot Ahronot. You'll know what you'll be getting if you vote for whatever party he ends up with. Contrast that with the current prime minister. Anyone care to outline what he stands for? What he really thinks about any given issue? Errr.... no.
4. the Left is Losing and grasping at straws...end
(01.09.12)
5. Unclear article
Sidney ,   USA   (01.09.12)
Just what new ideas does Lapid bring to Israeli politics?
6. Crash and burn like General Shahak
Rachel ,   US   (01.09.12)
Remember when we were told he would be next King of Israel?
7. lapid
michael Pielet ,   israel   (01.09.12)
Lapid like his father has never done anything, stands for nothing except creating hatred between religious and non religious Jews and the gel on his head.
8. Yair Lapid
Maurice C ,   Israel   (01.09.12)
Good for you, I believe that time is ripe for young blood in our sick, self interest, seat warming, sleepy, nothing to offer, freebie searchers, illicit and illegal dealing members of parliament whose only reason for being there is for their own benefit. He has proved by his straight and direct honest demands and approach to problems are that what we need today and not tomorrow. His father was a good straight honest brilliant councilor, who called a spade a spade and never deviated from his policies to get additional votes or financial benefits and if Yair is anything like him, he will go far. You've got my vote when needed
9. We need an anti-corruption party
Mitchell Cohen ,   Gush Etzion, Israel   (01.09.12)
If Lapid just tries to resurrect Shinui, then his party will be just another memory like Shinui is. If, on the other hand, he start a party whose PRIMARY platform is to fight corruption, then his party could win a lot of seats and I would even vote for it!!!!
10. UNLIKELY
tz   (01.09.12)
doubt that everyone is as excited as you are...big fat hairy deal...a star is born...what is this? Reality TV??!!
11. What does Yair stand for ????
Norman   (01.09.12)
Is his politics same as his fathers that was a proven failure.
12. Centrist Kadima and Labor?
BH ,   Iowa   (01.09.12)
Rightist hegemony? If only that was true.
13. lapid' father enabled olmert
alexi   (01.09.12)
I rest my case. Lapid will wipe livni's party out down to maybe 3 MKs. He may take some from the other parties but kadima will get hit hardest and livni will leave politics. israelis , some of them are longing for the messiah who is not lapid. He's is another version of olmert, same idea, concessions,udnerstanding nakba, minimizing israel, same crap. Arabs will embrace him for the sucker that he is. The only israelis that arabs want are dzimmis which eventually leads to ovens. Are jews doomed to the ovens again. Feilgin should take over the likud to breath some self respect and nationalism into the party as bibi though well intended has attached himself to barak who israel rejects lock, stock and barrel no matter what he does or says. His record since 1999 even in military affairs has been atrocious. Whatever he did in the 70s, it is a distant memory. He is not trustworthy and runs scared, offering all kinds of concessions.
14. Another one hit wonder...
Danny   (01.09.12)
15. How many times?
Cynic   (01.09.12)
How many times have we seen the great next hope? Lapid Sr? Ami Ayalon, Lipkin Shahak? Ben simone? The list is endless and all contributed nothing. I don't agree with Netanyahu all the time but at least he does things.
16. #9 history
israel israeli ,   tel aviv   (01.09.12)
In 1992, the extreme Left could not defeat Shamir because he was a great success, having defeated the first intifada and successfully absorbed the immigrants from FSU. The extreme Left started an "anti corruption campaign" falsely accusing Shamir of corruption. As soon as they seized power (with less than half the popular vote and lots of money to Shas) they signed Oslo I and II, imported Arafat and ruined the country.
17. It is not the left that is losing. We are all losing now!
Oren ,   USA   (01.09.12)
If you were an Israeli living abroad, you would see for yourself that our standing in the world has never been so low. Bibi burned every single bridge with his arrogance and lack of political skills. We are sinking faster than ever...Open your eyes!
18. Lapid's new party will be most temporary.
Chaim ,   Israel   (01.09.12)
Lapid will not change the face of Israeli politics. His new party will be a most temporary phenomena; like Kadima. The lefist dinosaur makes it's last gasp in our nation; which is readying to be governed by the vast centre right majority.
19. To stop Lapid all they have to do is make a law that, ....
Brian ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (01.10.12)
... the only Knesset members allowed to wear make up are women. That would work.
20. No to Lapid! We don't need him!
Reuven   (01.10.12)
21. #17. Israel was highly respected before Oslo and appeasement
Chaim ,   Israel   (01.10.12)
#17 Oren. Until Israel embraced Oslo and the lunatic policy of appeasement, Israel was widely respected, by friends and foes alike, as a gutsy little nation. More appeasement is exactly the wrong move. Israel needs to act like a sovereign self respecting state again. Claim Judea and Samaria, our 3,500 year old ancestral heartland. Stop talking to terrorists. People respect those who respect themselves.
22. #17 you are very wrong
golan ,   modiin   (01.10.12)
you ignore Obama anti-western patterns you ignore Israel's losing standing from Rabin to Livny you are ignoring the rise of the anarchist movement the fear of islamification and the missteps in Israeli hasbara that has been largely behind the scenes however Liberman is Israel's best FM, and has done more for Israel than such clowns as Shimon Peres, and David Levi who were only popular in the Israeli Leftist media and utter failures on the diplomatic stage. BB has done a great job with Israel's economy and stabilized our government. No I do not like him, but I do praise him for his attributes.
23. A fantasy article.
Michael Redbourn ,   Arad Israel   (01.10.12)
The author greatly exaggerates Lapid's influence and Sima comes across as a groupy!
24. Lapid support reminds me of eddie murphy
zionist forever   (01.10.12)
Everybody is running around celebrating Lapid's decision to enter politics as though the messiah had come but have any of his swarms of supporters ever asked Lapid WHAT HE STANDS FOR. Labor, Kadima, Likud, the religious and all the rest of the single issue parties we know something about them and we wouldn't vote for them if we didn'.t Lapid hasn't even said a single word about what he stands for or what his policies will be and we are predicting 15-20 seats. The current un conditional support for Lapid reminds me of an Eddie Murphy film I once saw. Eddie Murphy who plays a conman stands for Congress because he thinkgs Washington is the place to pull scams and he gets elected by never showing his face during the campaign but plays on his name which is the same a opular now dead Congressman. Thats exactly what the Yair Lpaid support reminds me of now, he had no experience of life outside journalism & he came from a well off family so hardly a man with a wide variety of life experiences but e is being seen like a messianic savior because he is the famous Yair Lapid The Israeli public really can be stupid at times if they are rooting for a man who hasn't even said what his policies will be.
25. Lapid/Olmert team is unbeatable
Luis ,   Haifa   (01.10.12)
26. What are his credentials?
Jayjay ,   Israel   (01.10.12)
A famous father and an annoying celebrity?? How can someone without the proper university degrees be allowed to become a mk???
27. Yair Lapid, and General shlomo Yanai
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (01.10.12)
from the I.D.F. and Teva, will be an excellent team when they enter politics.
28. # 1 succesor to Olmer and Livni
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (01.10.12)
How sad,poor Yair can't reach the level of integrity and honesty of the present sages in the coalition.
29. # 4 What you are grasping, is not the
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (01.10.12)
rock of Gibraltar either.
30. This Analysis is Absurd
Noah Lev ,   LosAngelesUSA   (01.10.12)
One poster says, "at least Netanyahu is doing something." Reminds me of any number of candidate in the USA who are NOT in one of the 2 major parties..Until elected, they have no power, cept perhaps to take votes away...and sort of influence policy makers minimally. Minority members in the Congress are at the merc of the majority..wth our democracy. Lapid will be another of 60 parties..elected, he will have power..depending. And thats the point, NOT his current salary or position. Lets face it, the parliamentary system of cemocracy is loaded with corruption and graft, if not extortion. "Deals" between parties, with the tail wagging the dog is passe guys But, until Israel has a constitution, (whcih Lapid advocates), stops giving charity to people eligible to work, requires course studies in publicly and private funded schools, defintes what exactly Israel is: a state of the Jews, a Jewish state, a state for all peoples...and goes one step further by splitting Israel into civil and religious authorites..(marriage, divorce, religious affiliation, converstaion, etc.) it will be like a mentally challanged person..something to be pities. The protestors illegally extorted your Knesset to make changes..or face an insurgency. This in effect was anarchy at work..maybe not the Arab Srping..but akin to it. Those Charedi who spit and insult little girls are committing an igrigious crime by our standards (USA). She could have lost an eye, her balance...become hysterical.etc. Throwing rocka at IDFers..is a felony..try it in the USA throw a Molotov Cocktail or stone or brick at a sheriff or the police and see what happens. Bottom line; iSRAEL seems out of balance..not knowing what to do..one step fwd and 3 steps behind constantly. If Lapid can sway others with some clout, the more to him. Re: Livni, and Olmert, etc., who cares..they had their day in court. Its time for some young, fresh blood with exciting ideas. Your leaders are old, get it, old.
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