Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party was formally accepted as an observer member of Liberal International, the world federation of liberal and progressive democratic political parties, at a meeting of the organization’s executive committee.
“Join LI in warmly welcoming Yesh Atid and their leader Yair Lapid on officially becoming LI observer members,” the organization tweeted over the weekend, along with a mazal tov in English and in Hebrew. “We look forward to working together in the months and years ahead.”
Yesh Atid officials said there has been added international interest in the party since its success in deposing former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“In order to deal with future international crises, we need to develop bonds of cooperation, communication and work,” Lapid said. “Only centrist parties are built in advance on dialogue and compromise, and they are therefore the only parties that will be able to respond to the challenges of the future.”
Founded in 1947, Liberal International includes more than 50 parties worldwide, including the ruling Liberal Party of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, The Liberal Democrats in the UK and Fianna Fáil in Ireland.
Lapid said he formed Yesh Atid to be a ruling party, and he believes it will be. He is set to become prime minister in August 2023 in a rotation with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“The Center leads Israeli politics,” he said. “We see Yesh Aid as part of an international family of centrist liberal parties around the world.”