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Lapid: The Political Novice Who Never Makes Mistakes

The reaction of Finance Minister Yair Lapid to the fiasco surrounding the appointment of a new governor of the Bank of Israel appears to show his inability to accept criticism. 
Israel's Finance Minister Yair Lapid gestures as he speaks during the opening of the summer session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem April 22, 2013. Lapid is seeking spending cuts of 18 billion shekels ($5 billion) and tax increases of 5 billion shekels as part of the 2013-2014 budget framework, a spokeswoman for Lapid said on Monday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTXYVXA
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If there’s one thing that unites politicians from across the political spectrum, it is their unwillingness and inability to admit mistakes and apologize. Finance Minister Yair Lapid is no different, but as someone who took the political arena by storm, promising a “new kind of politics,” expectations of him were much higher and the disappointment in him was much greater. The finance minister and chairman of the Yesh Atid party could have walked away from the embarrassment surrounding the appointment of a new governor of the Bank of Israel with his dignity intact. All he had to do was to work up the courage to get up before the public and apologize for his failure.

While it is true that the prime minister is also involved in this fiasco, it is Lapid who disappointed the public more than anyone. No one expected him to engage in such a shallow and amateurish process when selecting the person to fill one of the most important posts in the Israeli economy. After all, it is Lapid who invested so much effort in shaping his image as a different kind of politician — more evenhanded, more professional, and more rational than the others. Just imagine what Lapid the journalist would have written about a finance minister who failed twice to appoint a new governor of the Bank of Israel. It would certainly be a scathing, arrogant text mocking him.

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