web analytics
May 19, 2013 /10 Sivan, 5773
At a Glance
InDepth
Sponsored Post
jumping Following a Passion for Sports to Israel

In Israel, a new five month scholarship program being offered to young aspiring athletes – one of them could be you.



Yair Lapid Offer’s General Political Platform in First Public Speech

tell a friend
Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid
Photo Credit: Moshe Shai/Flash90

Yair Lapid gave his first public speech since entering politics. Here are some highlights from his 25 minute speech.

Yair Lapid said that until a month ago he had the best life one could ask for. Once a week he would drive 34 minutes to a television studio, put on a great suit and chat with top journalists. He made a lot of money and had an amazing amount of influence as the anchor of television’s number one news show. He said that every person he meets in the street asks him why he bothered leaving that life for politics, but he just asks himself why he didn’t enter politics sooner.

He said the country belongs not to interest groups, lobbyists, business tycoons, ultra-orthodox parties, stone throwers, or those who threaten army officers, but to law-abiding middle class army-serving citizens. He asked where the money goes. He charged that the education and medical systems are worse than they were in the last generation, and it is also harder to buy a house.

He blamed the government for favoring the ultra-orthodox over the regular Israeli. He said his party will not be Dash, HaMerkaz or Shinui- it will survive. He slammed Shas, who he claimed has the whole country twisted around its finger with 11 seats, and United Torah Judaism, who with five seats conquered the Funds Committee and controls the country’s pockets. He said the three main problems with politics are the current electoral system, the ultra-orthodox parties and corruption. He noted that 50% of the births in 2010 were ultra orthodox and Arab and if something is not done soon, no one will be serving in the army.

He said the number of municipalities needs to be lowered, funding for the police must be increased, and there must be protection of the courts and more money invested in welfare. He called for changing the electoral system – currently at a 6% electoral threshold, with the largest party automatically becoming the ruling party. He called for repealing the Tal and Nahari Laws. He also called for reducing the number of ministers in the government, making housing affordable, helping small businesses, and social justice. He concluded that, now that people know what he thinks and what he wants to do, he wants your vote.

tell a friend

About the Author: Jeremy Saltan is Bayit Yehudi's Mevaseret Tzion Party Branch Director and a Central Committee Member. Jeremy served as Bayit Yehudi's English Speaking Campaign Manager in the past election. Visit Jeremy's blog, www.knessetjeremy.com.


You might also be interested in:


no comments

You must log in to post a comment.

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Current Top Story
Haredim protest the draft, May 16, 2013.
Few Terrorize ‘New Haredim,’ But Majority Accepts Integration
Latest Indepth Stories
William Dodd, the United States ambassador to Germany, in 1934.

The growing revelations that the Obama State Department watered down public statements on the attack in order to cleanse them of any mention of al Qaeda and terrorism is a travesty.

Secretary of State John Kerry shaking hands with Egyptian President Morsi. The Obama administration cannot even get itself to even use the word “Islamism,” let alone take a stand against the pervasive antisemitism created by Islamists at home and abroad.

We must confront Islamist groups with what Prime Minister David Cameron referred to as “muscular liberalism.”

Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yussef al-Qaradawi

Al-Qaradawi’s visit and statements also serve as a reminder that the Israeli-Arab conflict is centered, more than ever, around religion.

Louis Rene Beres

Everyone who reads newspapers should know at least one thing. Threats to annihilate Israel have always been unremarkable. Almost never, it seems, have Israel’s existential enemies sought any reason for concealment.

Mark Treyger, a candidate for city council in New York City’s 47th council district, met recently with the editorial board of The Jewish Press at the newspaper’s Boro Park office.

Israel’s government did not want to liberate Jerusalem. Or to be more specific, the Labor and National Religious Party ministers did not want to liberate Jerusalem. “Who needs that whole Vatican?” Defense Minister Moshe Dayan explained at the time.

Last Friday, the Western Wall underwent an unwelcome transformation from sacred site to media circus as the group known as the Women of the Wall sought to hold a decidedly non-traditional prayer service.

Two recent revelations have raised serious questions about the kind of government President Obama is running.

Readers of my monthly Baseball Insider column may have noticed its absence last week (the column appears in the second issue of every month). The reason for that is I have something more serious and personal to share with you, something that didn’t seem appropriate for a baseball column.

Herbert Romerstein died last week after a long illness. With Herb’s passing, we lose not only a good guy but a vast reservoir of knowledge that is not replaceable.

Freedom House recently released its annual report on press freedom throughout the world at an event sponsored by the Newseum in Washington. But along with the usual and appropriate condemnations of dictatorships and totalitarian states, the group decided to slam the one democracy in the Middle East as well as one of the few states in the region where press freedom actually exists: Israel.

What is the relationship between Pesach and Shavuos?
Rabbi Naftali Jaeger, rosh yeshiva of Sh’or Yoshuv, relates in the name of the Ishbitzer Rebbe a striking metaphor:

Now is the time for Ankara to take some corrective domestic and foreign policy measures consistent with what the country has and continues to aspire for but fails to realize.

Even Muslim Brotherhood think-tanks have said that the Shia, and especially Iran, are more dangerous threats than is Israel.

More Articles from Jeremy Saltan
Benjamin Netanyahu

For Lapid to successfully challenge Netanyahu, he will need to find the right time for a strategic exit from the government.

The right of center parties continue to maintain their lead, albeit by a slightly smaller margin in eight polls released December 9-15.

Knesset Jeremy Weekly Average #8 (week of Nov 25-Dec 1) of 7 polls (Channel 10, Globes, Knesset Channel, Channel 2, Yisrael Hayom, Yediot Ahronont, Channel 1). Current Knesset seats in [brackets], Week 7 average in (brackets) 37.5 (38.0) [42] Likud Beytenu 19.2 (21.4) [08] Labor 11.7 (11.8) [10] Shas 9.8 (9.5) [05] Jewish Home-Tekuma 8.0 [...]

The average of 2 polls published last week, Channel 2 and Jerusalem Post. The Post poll was conducted November 12-13 and the Channel 2 poll was published November 14.

This week’s average shows Likud Beitenu and Labor position similar to last week. Shas gains and takes the third position while Lapid’s Yesh Atid drops and falls into the fourth position. Hadash passes Meretz, while Kadima and Independence pick up gains. Am Shalem is also picking up steam. The right block gains ground this week with the help of Shas and Am Shalem’s gains.

Weekly poll average: Likud-Beitenu at 38 seats; Labor at 22; the Right wing parties a little over 66 seats and the left has just under 54. The Jewish Home-National Union list rose to 9 seats while Kadima continues its decline into oblivion.

    Latest Poll

    Which is the most beautiful location in Jerusalem?









    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

Printed from: http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/knesset/knesset-corner/yair-lapid-offers-general-political-platform-in-first-public-speech/2012/02/22/

Scan this QR code to visit this page online:

Close