'Lapid must now focus on proving that he is capable of standing on both feet'
Photo: Eli Mandelbaum
Lapid, enough with the gimmicks
Analysis: A year into government's term, it seems public is less fond of finance minister as a person but more appreciative of his ideas.
In 1957, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
invited photographers to the Herzliya beach, where he was spending a vacation at the Sharon Hotel. Ben-Gurion arrived at the beach with nothing on but his swimsuit, and stood on his head in the soft sand. The photograph, which was published in the press, became a sensation mainly because of his age at the time – 71.
Why did Lapid choose this picture of all pictures? One can only guess. Ben-Gurion was a pioneer and revolutionary, who knew how to face all challenges courageously and firmly. And here, even at such a late age, he was able to meet a physical challenge which younger people would not have been able to perform. Any beginning personal trainer would use the following exciting phrase to describe it: "He who dares wins!"
Finance Minister Lapid adopted this photo as a symbol for his faction's room at the Knesset. When he gives television interviews, the State's founder can be seen behind him in the unusual pose, filling the full width of the small screen.
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This photo can also be seen from a less positive aspect. Ben-Gurion had suffered at the time from dizziness and backaches, which confined him to bed for long periods of time. A trainer named Dr. Feldenkrais managed to get him to stand on his head. It served as proof for Israel's residents that their prime minister is in full force and will be able serve them for many more years. Most historians believe that Ben-Gurion had found it difficult to stand on his political feet at the time. The huge leader of Zionism had turned into an annoying, bitter politician who drowned the State and his party in an obsessive occupation with the Lavon Affair.
What kind of Yair Lapid do we have at the end of the government's first year? Is he the same new candidate, who promised to turn Israel upside down with a series of revolutions and reforms, or is it a person with a broken political back, suffering from dizziness of heights due to his position as finance minister? This analysis is important both in regards to the future of his movement and in regards to the division of powers in our political system.
When I worked with politicians as a media consultant, I learned not to rely solely on the position of commentators. We have already seen in election campaigns that column writers supported or rejected certain candidates, while the election results were different. People vote for elected representatives for two main reasons: Necessity and empathy – do they serve your interests and do you feel comfortable with them.
Those following the commentaries about Lapid may be under the impression that marking the first year of the government's term is also the anniversary of his political death. The big white hope which failed to deliver. And indeed, in surveys about his suitability to serve as prime minister he gets about 5%. On the other hand, the number of predicted Knesset seats for his Yesh Atid party is constantly on the rise. From one-digit numbers it climbed to 14 in the latest poll. That's quite a lot considering the low point the party has reached in terms of its image.
The conclusion may be that the public is less fond of Lapid as a person and more appreciative of Lapid as an idea. It's safe to assume that his party's renewed growth in the surveys does not stem from Education Minister Shai Piron's quibbling and from the agony of MK Adi Koll, who announced that she would vote in favor of the Governance Law although she opposes it. It can likely be attributed to the advancement of the equal share of the burden law, despite its flaws, and the stances expressed by Lapid about the peace process.
This also signals that Lapid should stop with the gimmicks and focus on actions. The picture of Ben-Gurion standing on his head can be taken down from the wall at the faction's room. It's more suitable for a student's room at the dorms. Now he must focus on proving that he is capable of standing on both feet.
