Karate Master, Journalist & Millionaire: Who is Yair Lapid, Israel's Future PM?

It is not yet clear whether the next prime minister will enter the official residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem due to the reconstruction works there. But it is known that he will be heading the country till the end of October, when Israel heads to the polls for the fifth time in three years.

On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that he'd agreed to dissolve the 24th Knesset, prompting another round of general polls -- that are expected to be held in late October.

The Knesset is expected to convene next Wednesday and vote on a bill to dissolve the chamber - a process that might drag until Monday of the following week.

From the moment of the Knesset's dissolution up until elections, Israel will have another Prime Minister, the man who used to be in charge of its foreign affairs, Yair Lapid.

In their joint press conference on Monday, Bennett praised Lapid. He said he was responsible and fair, and he promised to pass the baton on to him in a clear and organized manner.

But what do we know about Lapid, Israel's future Prime Minister?

Here are the top five interesting facts:

Personal:

He is a karate master and has earned his black belt. He is also a millionaire. In 2019, it was estimated that he was worth about $8 million.

Professional background:

He finished school after completing 12 mandatory classes, but never went on to get a Bachelor's degree. Instead, he went straight to getting a Master's degree and a PHd, triggering outrage in Israel.

Before he joined politics, Lapid was a known TV personality. For years, he wrote op-eds for Maariv, one of Israel's leading newspapers. Later on, he went to work for their competitors, Yediot Ahronoth. He hosted shows on various channels and interviewed celebrities and politicians. In addition, he has written 12 books.

Political career:

In 2012, Lapid entered politics, establishing the Yesh Atid party. In the following year's elections, his party garnished 19 out of 120 seats at the Israeli parliament, becoming the second biggest after Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.

During Netanyahu's second term, in 2014, Lapid was part of his government, serving as the Minister of Finance, but he was dismissed in the end of that year following disagreements with the PM.

Since then, Lapid has held a grudge towards Netanyahu. In 2015 he vowed to never sit with him in the same government, a promise he has kept throughout the years.

In 2019, Lapid joined forces with two former military men: Benny Gantz and Boogie Yaalon, forming the Blue and White party that aimed to oust Netanyahu from power. Although they did get an impressive 35 seats, in 2020 they fell apart. Each was competing on his own.

In May 2021, after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition, the mandate passed on to Lapid, who eventually forged a bloc that relied on eight parties with rather opposing ideologies. But a year down the line and following major disputes as well as security and economic crisis, Bennett and Lapid agreed to dissolve the parliament.

Political views:

Lapid's political views are fully expressed in the agenda of his party. He is a staunch adherent of a two-state solution and he believes that Israel should be working with the moderate forces in the region to make that happen.

Geopolitically, he is a supporter of the West and has been constantly advocating bolstering ties with the US as well as various European nations.

Lapid considers himself a liberal. He is supportive of gay marriages, wants to separate religion from state, and seeks to improve the lives of Israel's minorities. He is also known for his slogans against state corruption and advocacy for better health and education systems.

Criticism:

Lapid is probably one of the most criticised politicians. In 2021, he was slammed for not taking part in the coronavirus cabinet meetings at a time when COVID-19 was still a pressing issue.

Later he was criticized for not attending Israel's most important memorial ceremonies - the one dedicated to its fallen soldiers and another for the victims of terror.

Later, he was rebuked for spending too much time travelling outside of Israel and dedicating much of his schedule to interviews rather than working.

Conservatives believe he is a man with zero achievements and threatens to deliver the country to the brink of a security and financial collapse. Liberals, on the other hand, think he will get the country back on track. Lapid knows he cannot change much in the the four months he will be in office. But he has been given a chance and he plans to seize it.