Journalist Lapid formally launches political bid, pledging support for middle class

Journalist, author, and television presenter Yair Lapid officially filed paperwork on Sunday to register a new political party called Yesh Atid that he hopes will become the new voice of the middle class.

Lapid, son of former minister and Shinui party leader Tommy Lapid, said that this was the first step toward realizing his goal of creating a large and significant political force that would change the country’s priorities and finally give a real voice to the middle class.

In a notification sent to activists and supporters, Lapid wrote: “We have set up Yesh Atid (There is a Future) because the middle class, the creative and productive public that pays taxes and serves in the army, has no voice and no one to protect its interests and the issues closest to its heart: education, health, transportation, housing, the battle against corruption, and the cost of living.”

“We have set it up because we know the answer to the question ‘Where is the money?’ It is here. It’s just that the wrong people are spending it on the wrong things. That can be changed and the time for change has arrived,” he wrote.

Since the beginning of the year when he announced his intention to join the political fray, the 48-year-old Lapid has held hundreds of parlor talks, events and seminars across the country to raise his public profile. The Lapid campaign now boasts over 10,000 volunteers and he has over 50,000 followers on Facebook.

In an Israel Hayom poll Sunday, Lapid was projected to receive 12 seats of the 120-seat parliament.