A long, hard day of work can put anybody into a bad humor. Yet even with coalition talks going full steam for nearly a month and a half, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, it appears, can still crack a joke.
“Night after night negotiations continue,” Lapid wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday. “Tension, nerves, everyone is on edge; fatigue becomes a critical factor. Every five minutes there’s more spin. Why can’t it be over already? How long does it take to choose a pope?”
In mid-February, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he was stepping down as the head of the Catholic Church. Benedict was the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415.
This week, the papal conclave convened to begin the process of choosing a successor for Benedict XVI.
It is expected that, unlike in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emerging coalition, clerics will not be left out of positions of power.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
