It is hard to remember now, but the issue of the ultra-Orthodox enlistment was by no means on top of the agenda of Yesh Atid Chairman and now Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid when he first entered politics and, as a matter of fact, nor was it for a long time afterward. One day in August 2012, Lapid attended a rally coordinated by the leaders of the organizations calling for equal sharing of the national burden, held at the Tel Aviv Museum plaza. Those were the days following the withdrawal from the government of the Kadima Party against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s surrender to the ultra-Orthodox factions. At the time, Lapid was barely half a year in politics. The elections were still far off then, and Lapid was losing relevance and declining in the polls. He thus sought any possible way to associate himself with the spirit of the social justice protest and other popular campaigns.

Equal sharing of the burden was considered the day's “hot topic,” which occupied the headlines for some time, and the demonstration called by the organizations advocating equal sharing of the burden was just what Lapid needed. He engaged several dozen Bedouins to act as protesters, dressed them in T-shirts bearing the Yesh Atid logo to create an atmosphere of public support, and set out to take over the ground. Unfortunately for him, the demonstration that he attempted to hitch a ride on turned out to be a flop, and he was accused of having taken advantage of the event to make a political fortune and of driving away the protesters. It was certainly not one of the glorious moments of Lapid’s brief political career.

It was only during his election campaign, when he was stumbling in the polls, that Lapid became aware of the full appeal the struggle for ultra-Orthodox enlistment had for his potential electorate, and he decided then and there to go for broke. Kadima Chairman [and former Defense Minister] Shaul Mofaz looked on in despair as Lapid was taking over his agenda, but he could do nothing about it.

From that time on, whenever the Yesh Atid chairman has found himself sinking to a low point in public opinion polls — which has happened quite often since his appointment as finance minister — he resorted to the same trick, heating up the front vis-à-vis the ultra-Orthodox camp. It may be done by means of a finely honed Facebook post or a well-written Knesset speech. One way or the other, Lapid turns directly to the ultra-Orthodox, accuses them of looting the public coffers and lays on them the responsibility for the budget deficit, while presenting himself as the knight in shining armor sent to undo the damage they have done.