Yair Lapid
Former Prime Minister of Israel · Yesh Atid
3 changes of mind on record, 2013–2025
How this works
Each change shows what they said then and what they said later, in their own words, dated, with the source.
Every quote is checked word for word against a saved copy of its source. Translations are labelled.
The short labels on each line are our summaries.
At a glance
- A Palestinian state Two states for two peoplesNo two states this decade Sept 2022Sept 2025
- Judicial reform Curbs the activist courtDefends the court's independence Jun 2014Mar 2023
- Relying on Arab parties No bloc with Arab partiesArab party in his coalition Jan 2013Feb 2019Sept 2022
first said said otherwise
A Palestinian state
Then
Two states for two peoples
As prime minister he tells the UN that an agreement with the Palestinians based on two states is right for Israel.
“An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy and for the future of our children.”
Source Full text of Lapid's 2022 speech to the UN General Assembly (Times of Israel, as prepared for delivery) (as reported by timesofisrael.com)
2 years, 11 months later
Later
No two states this decade
As opposition leader, after 7 October, he says there will be no two-state solution in the coming decade.
"לא יהיה פתרון של שתי מדינות בעשור הקרוב בגלל מה שקרה אחרי ה-7 באוקטובר וזה כולל את החגיגות ברמאללה של מה שקרה בבוקר הטבח."
Our translation There will be no two-state solution in the coming decade because of what happened after 7 October, and that includes the celebrations in Ramallah of what happened on the morning of the massacre.
Source יאיר לפיד חושף: מתי תוקם מדינה פלסטינית? (אייס) (as reported by ice.co.il)
Context: Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. He spoke at the MEAD conference in Washington; the report is dated 11 September 2025 and says 'last night'.
Judicial reform
Then
Curbs the activist court
Calls the Supreme Court's judicial activism a hostile takeover of political decision-making, naming the Aharon Barak school.
"שני הגופים הם בית המשפט העליון של אהרון ברק וממשיכיו, מייסדי אסכולת האקטיביזם השיפוטי ואגף התקציבים באוצר מהתקופה שבה ניהלו אותו אהרון פוגל ואחריו אורי יוגב. יש עשרות, אם לא מאות דוגמאות לתהליך ההשתלטות."
Our translation The two bodies are the Supreme Court of Aharon Barak and his successors, the founders of the school of judicial activism, and the Treasury's budget division from the period when Aharon Fogel and then Uri Yogev ran it. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of examples of the takeover process.
Source מתהפך כמו שניצל - לפיד ב-2014 על התנהלות בג״ץ (חדשות 04) (as reported by 0404.co.il)
8 years, 9 months later
Later
Defends the court's independence
As opposition leader he rejects the coalition's Rotman outline for the Judicial Selection Committee as a hostile takeover of the court, not a compromise.
"זו לא פשרה, זו השתלטות עויינת על בית המשפט"
Our translation This is not a compromise, it is a hostile takeover of the court
Source לפיד על הצעת רוטמן: ״השתלטות עוינת על בית המשפט״ (דבר ראשון) (as reported by davar1.co.il)
Context: The 2014 remark was a speech at the Herzliya Conference while he was Finance Minister; in 2023 he led the opposition against the coalition's judicial overhaul.
Relying on Arab parties
Then
No bloc with Arab parties
The day after the 2013 election he ruled out a blocking bloc against Netanyahu that would rely on Balad MK Hanin Zoabi.
"אנחנו לא נעשה גוש חוסם עם חנין זועבי. זה לא דבר שהולך לקרות"
Our translation We will not make a blocking bloc with Hanin Zoabi. That is not something that is going to happen
Source לפיד משיב ליחימוביץ': "לא נקים גוש חוסם עם השמאל וזועבי" (וואלה חדשות) (as reported by news.walla.co.il)
6 years, 1 month later
Later
No bloc with Arab parties
Blue and White will not form a blocking bloc with the Arab parties: no maybe, no but.
"כחול לבן לא עושה גוש חוסם עם המפלגות הערביות. פשוט לא. בלי 'אולי', בלי 'אבל', לא וזהו."
Our translation Blue and White is not making a blocking bloc with the Arab parties. Simply not. No 'maybe', no 'but', no and that's it.
Source לפיד: "לא נקים ממשלה עם המפלגות הערביות" (סרוגים, quoting his Facebook post) (as reported by srugim.co.il)
3 years, 6 months later
Latest
Arab party in his coalition
As prime minister he tells the UN that an Arab party is a member of his coalition and that Israeli Arabs are partners, not enemies.
“There is an Arab party as a member of our coalition.”
Source Full text of Lapid's 2022 speech to the UN General Assembly (Times of Israel, as prepared for delivery) (as reported by timesofisrael.com)
Context: In June 2021 Lapid assembled the coalition that replaced Netanyahu; Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, signed a coalition agreement with Yesh Atid, the first Arab party to join an Israeli governing coalition. Lapid became prime minister on 1 July 2022.