Tag Archive for Yair Lapid

| July 1, 2013
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Lapid Liquor Law is in Line with Other OECD Countries

Beginning Monday, new prices on some alcoholic beverages in Israel will come down, while the cost of others will shoot up considerably.

By David Lev

 

Beginning Monday, prices on some currently low-cost alcoholic beverages in Israel will shoot up – while the cost of others will come down considerably. The changes will come about as part of a taxation reform to set Israel’s duty on alcohol more in line with other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

Liquors

Liquors – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

 

According to the new rules, duties and taxes will be levied based on the amount of alcohol in a bottle. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| June 23, 2013
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MKs demand that gas export issue be decided in Knesset

MK Avishay Braverman: If Knesset doesn’t accept decision, it will have no legitimacy.

By SHARON UDASIN
 

 

On the eve of Sunday’s cabinet session during which a decision on gas exports is scheduled to take place, a number of Knesset members drafted letters to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the other ministers demanding that they transfer the decision to the Knesset.

Tamar natural gas rig.

Tamar natural gas rig. – Photo: Albatross

“In order to help the legislative process of gas export, the Economic Affairs Committee will also work in August,” wrote MK Avishay Braverman (Labor). “The committee will continue discussions in August in order to hear all the sides, of the government, the public and the developers, and will formulate a bill that will be good for the citizens and the economy of Israel.”

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| June 21, 2013
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Lapid calls for ‘honest divorce’ from Palestinians but Bennett urges ‘coexistence’

Economy and Trade Minister Bennett suggests gov’t give Area C Palestinians Israeli citizenship.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
 

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) came out in support of a two-state solution, while his coalition partner Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) rejected it completely and urged for “coexistence” between Israelis and Palestinians, in interviews they gave separately to the Washington Post this week.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Bayit Yehudi head Naftali Bennett at Knesset swear in, Feb 5, 2013.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Bayit Yehudi head Naftali Bennett at Knesset swear in, Feb 5, 2013. – Photo: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post

Dubbing the two-state solution an “honest divorce” between Israel and the Palestinians, Lapid vowed to “push for this as hard as [he] can.”

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Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| June 17, 2013
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Israeli & Palestinian finance ministers meet to boost the PA

Israel’s finance minister

Lapid meets Palestinian counterpart to discuss economic cooperation renewal, including joint investments & trade to make the PA economy viable.

Attila Somfalvi

 

In their first meeting, Israeli and Palestinian finance ministers have agreed on a series of economic cooperation projects.

Lapid, Bashara Photo: Anat Hamami, Finance Ministry SpokespersonSunday’s meeting between Israel’s Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and the Palestinians’ Shukri Bashara marked the first high-profile meeting between officials since the new Israeli government took office in March.

Lapid said cooperation would include joint investments and trade between the sides. He said it would benefit both and vowed to “continue to strengthen the connection and promote important economic issues that are important to both sides.” Continue Reading »

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| June 14, 2013
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Lapid wants public transportation for Shabbat as well

On a

Facebook chat, finance minister Lapid wrote ‘grandfather who cannot afford taxi should be able to visit his grandchildren on Shabbat.’

On stalled peace talks: Oslo Accords boosted economy

Ynet

 

“We need public transportation on Shabbat in secular neighborhoods and in secular cities,” Finance Minister Yair Lapid said Thursday evening during a live chat on Facebook. However, he said, more time was needed to sense the changes regarding this issue and economic issues.

Lapid during Facebook chat

Lapid during Facebook chat

“I think there should be public transportation on Shabbat. I said this during my (election) campaign and I’m saying it again – not in religious areas, but in secular neighborhoods and secular cities – because this issue is not related to religion and state; it is a simple social matter,” the Yesh Atid chairman wrote on Facebook. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 30, 2013
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Lapid relays ‘revolutionary’ plan for lower housing prices

 

Israel’s Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s plan calls for the construction of 25,000 new residential units annually, and for first time, greater Tel Aviv & central Israel would be home for majority of the building.

Zeev Klein

 

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid unveiled on Wednesday his plan to reduce housing prices in Israel, calling for 25,000 new residential units to be built annually.

The greater Tel Aviv area is a priority region under Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s housing plan – Photo: Moshe Shai

The plan will be presented to the Housing Cabinet at its upcoming meeting on Monday.

The greater Tel Aviv area, greater Ashkelon area, central Israel, Jerusalem and Haifa would be defined as regions of demand, where 15,000 residential units would be built annually.

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| May 20, 2013
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Lapid to NYT: I oppose construction freeze & Abbas isn’t partner for peace

Yair Lapid, in New York Times interview, addressed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for 1st time since becoming finance minister, suggesting that Abbas, as a founding father of the ‘victimizing’ concept of the Palestinians, isn’t a partner for peace.

By

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid opposes a freeze on Israeli settlement construction as a gesture to jump-start negotiations with the Palestinians.

Yair Lapid

Yair Lapid poses for a portrait at his house, January 16, 2013. – Photo: AP

In an interview with The New York Times, Lapid admitted that he has not spoken to nor met with any senior Palestinian officials, but claimed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 12, 2013
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Lapid now knows where the money is & needs to plug the hole

PM Benjamin Netanyahu is giving Finance Minister Lapid his full support even if some of Lapid’s own party supporters are not.

Histadrut Chairman Ofer Eini is pleased, although, ‘Ricky Cohen from Hadera’ now has to deal with harsh austerity measures, i.e. higher taxes.

By Mati Tuchfeld

 

It is okay to say that Finance Minister Yair Lapid has good intentions. More than a year has passed since he quit his job as the anchorman of the Channel 2 news magazine and began traveling the country from end to end, carrying the flag of the middle class, vowing to do everything to protect the middle class, and criticizing all those “old politicians” that turned the middle class into the country’s “ATM,” as he said in one of his campaign speeches.

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| May 10, 2013
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Now, Lapid is Against ‘Social Protests’

Although, social protests previously brought Lipid to power, the Finance Minister explains why he no longer supports the public’s ‘cost of living’ rallies.

By Maayana Miskin

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid explained Thursday night why he does not support the latest round of rallies calling to reduce the cost of living. Previous such rallies were credited with boosting his party’s showing in the elections.

Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid“They told me that there will be a demonstration on Saturday. All I want to do is to put on a black t-shirt again, go down to the rally and say, ‘People, you’re demonstrating against yourselves,’” he told Channel 10. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 7, 2013
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Lapid’s budget includes extensive cuts & unprecedented taxes

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid presents the gov’t with final budget proposal for 2013-14, outlining aggressive cuts & a series of new unprecedented taxes meant to relieve some of the state’s 39 billion shekel ($11 b) deficit.

Zeev Klein and Israel Hayom Staff

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid presented the government with his ministry’s final budget proposal for 2013-2014, outlining aggressive cuts and a series of new taxes meant to help cover some of the state’s 39 billion shekel ($11 billion) deficit.

Finance Minister Yair Lapid – Photo: Gideon Markowitz

The bill cuts 25 billion shekels ($7 billion) from government spending in 2013-2014: 7 billion shekels ($2 billion) this year and 18 billion shekels ($5 billion) in 2014.

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Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| April 26, 2013
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Israel’s new gov’t is gunning for reform – but at who’s expense?

A month after Israel’s new gov’t took office, its ministers began to advanced a series of measures destined to appease the middle-class, but, does it matter if those reforms come at the expense of others, such as the ultra-Orthodox?

By

 

Without a doubt, the winds of reform and revolutions are blowing in our land. The finance minister declares “war” on behalf of the working man. The prime minister states that no labor strike will deter him from lowering the price of cars or from implementing a “huge” reform in the ports. The transportation minister has discovered that the sky’s the limit, the interior minister is considering extending daylight saving time, and the minister of communications is bent on shaking up the pay-per-view television market in favor of freebie TV. Continue Reading »

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| April 25, 2013
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Bennett & Lapid seek seaport reform

Economy and Trade Minister promises to break seaport monopoly. ‘It’ll hurt, but it’ll pass,’ Bennett says of expected union strikes.

By Moran Azulay

 

Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett is backing the seaport reform and has vowed to “break the seaport monopoly.”

נמל אשדוד. מו"מ עם הוועדים הוא הכרחי (צילום: אבי רוקח)

Ashdod port – Photo: Avi Rokach

“We’ll release the strangle-hold. We’re engaged in a historic process of opening up Israel‘s economy. The train has left the station,” he said.

Bennett’s statements follow that of Finance Minister Yair Lapid who on Tuesday announced his plans to privatize the state owned ports in Haifa and Ashdod and to support the construction of an additional port by a private entrepreneur. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| April 23, 2013
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Haredi MKs respond to Lapid diatribe

Blamed by rookie finance minister for Israel’s huge deficit, the ultra-Orthodox MKs accuse Lapid of inciting hatred & scapegoating them to divert attention away from his planned tax hikes.

Moran Azulay

 

Haredi Knesset members are firing back following Finance Minister Yair Lapid‘s bitter diatribe at the Knesset plenum on Monday.

“He’s using the haredim as a means of distraction and a way to avoid the real questions about the enormous measures he’s imposing on the public,” said MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) who confronted Lapid at the plenum. “It will be because of him that Israelis take to the streets again soon enough.” Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| April 12, 2013
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‘Facebook Minister’ learns supporters lavished praise one day, & are out for blood the next

Yair Lapid, Israel’s new finance minister, prefers to respond to criticism from home on his Facebook page, rather than in the Knesset podium.

By Ryan Jones

 

When he first announced his intention to form a party and run for Knesset, popular television personality Yair Lapid was hailed far and wide as a kingslayer for being most capable of unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yair LapidWhen it became clear Lapid would join Netanyahu’s new govrnment, he was instead held aloft as a kingmaker, because without Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, Netanyahu would not have a stable coalition.

Now that it has come to actually governing the nation, Lapid is being mercilessly attacked as the “Facebook minister” due to his preference to respond to criticism of his work as minister of finance via social media, rather than at the Knesset itself. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| April 12, 2013
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Yair Lapid ‘vigorously opposes’ Israel – Canada Potash deal

Finance minister Yair Lapid to form a committee to review state’s rights to its natural resources. Lapid opposes ICL purchase by Canadian company Potash & says the Israeli public should be the 1st to enjoy the nation’s natural resources.

By Zeev Klein & Hezi Sternlicht

 

 

Finance Minister Yair Lapid announced Wednesday that he opposes the sale of Israel Chemicals (ICL), which produces potash from mineral reserves in the Dead Sea region, to the Canadian company Potash.

The Dead Sea. Finance Minister Yair Lapid says natural resources are for Israelis to enjoy. – Photo: Reuters

“I will vigorously oppose the merger,” Lapid said.

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