Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on the future of Israel and the region

  • Mon, July 27, 2026 • 4:00 pm ET
  • Virtual event

The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative will host Leader of the Israeli Opposition Yair Lapid for a fireside chat ahead of the Israeli legislative elections this fall.

On Monday, July 27, at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative will host Leader of the Israeli Opposition Yair Lapid. The discussion will take place three months before the Israeli legislative elections.  

Lapid previously served as the fourteenth prime minister of the State of Israel and minister of foreign affairs in Israel’s thirty-sixth government. As minister of foreign affairs, Lapid founded and hosted the first Negev Summit, with the participation of foreign ministers from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt, together with the US secretary of state, and founded the I2U2, a summit between Israel, the United States, India, and the UAE focused on bolstering cooperation. 

In conversation with former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, Lapid will discuss Israel’s regional relationships, the war with Iran, challenges facing the US-Israel relationship, and the upcoming elections.

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Featuring

Yair Lapid
Former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Israel; current Leader of the Opposition

Welcome remarks

William Wechsler
Senior Director, Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs
Atlantic Council

Moderated by

Amb. Daniel Shapiro
Distinguished Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Middle East Programs,
Atlantic Council

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The Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative (SMESI) provides policymakers fresh insights into core US national security interests by leveraging its expertise, networks, and on-the-ground programs to develop unique and holistic assessments on the future of the most pressing strategic, political, and security challenges and opportunities in the Middle East. 

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