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How Did Yachimovich Lose The Israeli Center to Lapid?

Yair Lapid, leader of Yesh Atid and the big winner in the Israeli elections, succeeded where Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich failed, by accurately capturing the frustrations and hopes of centrist voters, writes Mazal Mualem.
Labour party leader Shelly Yachimovich addresses supporters at her party's headquarters in Beit Berl, north of Tel Aviv January 23, 2013. Hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged the bruised winner of Israel's election on Tuesday, claiming victory despite unexpected losses to resurgent centre-left challengers. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3CTBJ
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The most resounding failure in the recent elections has been attributed to Labor Party head Shelly Yachimovich. Yachimovich, the leader of Israel’s social-democratic party, neglected the political banner for almost total preoccupation with socio-economic issues. She was supposed to provide the natural home for the hundreds of thousands of citizens who pitched tent encampments on the boulevards and demonstrated on the city streets in the summer of 2011 — and she was the one to receive the most resounding slap in the face. Even more painfully, those same people voted in droves for Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid — who hadn't been at all important during the protest days.

Yes, Yachimovich managed to recruit three of the most prominent protest leaders into her party: Stav Shaffir, Itzik Shmuli and Professor Yossi Yonah. But she failed in the real test: she failed to convince the public that she has the answer to their problems.

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