Yair Lapid offers first glimpse of his party's founders

Poet, judoka and high school principal among early Yesh Atid supporters

After months of speculation, the list of founding members of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party has been made public. The new party officially filed a request on Thursday to be added to the list of registered political parties that can participate in the upcoming general elections expected on September 4.

The announcement included the names of the party’s 10 founders: Yair Lapid, ex-journalist and TV personality; poet Ronny Someck; Netanya City Council member and former Olympic judoka Yoel Razvozov; Menachem Tzruya, the director of the Naamat Technological High School in Jaffa; attorney Anat Lerner Givon; insurance executive Tagal Dahan Knaffo; attorney Mahmoud Anabasa; Yosef Sharf; Aviva Azouri, and Ravit Eckstein.

This first glimpse into the members of Yesh Atid, a party which a Wednesday Dahaf Institute poll indicated could win up to 12 seats in the upcoming elections, is not necessarily representative of the party’s Knesset list, Lapid representatives told Maariv.

“This is the list of founders of the party for purposes of registration only. The party’s Knesset list will be formed from these 100 founding members,” the party’s campaign headquarters said in a statement.

According to law, a new party must submit an application to the Registrar of Parties signed by one hundred founding members, with a proposed party name, party bylaws, and a document detailing the party’s objectives.

Yesh Atid’s political goals are, according to the application: changing the system of government, prioritizing education, housing and health, improving the economic situation of the middle class, promoting universal conscription into the IDF, encouraging broader participation in the workforce, namely among the ultra-Orthodox, fighting corruption and poverty, and encouraging a two-state solution with the Palestinian Authority.

Lapid, 48, a former journalist, author, and television presenter, and son of former minister and Shinui party leader Tommy Lapid, campaigned largely on Facebook and in meetings with students and supporters until this week, and has refused interviews with the media.