Yair Lapid (born November 5, 1963, in Tel Aviv, Israel) is a prominent Israeli politician and former Prime Minister, having served from July 1 to December 29, 2022. He is the current leader of the centrist Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) party, which he founded in 2012. Previously, he held roles as Minister of Finance (2013–2014 and again from 2021 to 2022), Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 2021–2022 Bennett-Lapid coalition, and Alternate Prime Minister. He has led the opposition multiple times (2020–2021 and since January 2023) and is the current opposition leader. Before entering politics, he was a journalist, columnist, television presenter, and author, gaining widespread recognition as a news anchor on Channel 2's evening news program and authoring bestselling books, with acting appearances in Israeli films and television series during the 1980s and 1990s. His political ideology centers on centrism and liberal policies, advocating for economic equality, religious pluralism, secular reforms opposing ultra-Orthodox privileges, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and anti-corruption reforms. He has been a vocal critic of Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure and judicial reforms. His tenure as finance minister included economic reforms that faced criticism for austerity measures, and he has faced controversies including allegations of nepotism in media dealings. As of 2023, he remains a leading figure in Israeli politics, influencing national discourse.