Is this man Israel's next prime minister?

Mazal Mualem, al-monitor.com

Image from article, with caption: Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid (C) walks with supporters as he campaigns in the southern city of Ashdod, March 15, 2015

Excerpt:

At Washington’s annual Saban Forum on Dec. 10, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid was seen keeping close to the American Jewish political strategist Mark Mellman. Actually, Mellman has been by Lapid's side ever since the 2013 elections. Lapid didn’t have to come all the way to Washington just to consult with him. The two men speak daily, even when the former finance minister is in Israel. Still, this was a great chance for the two to sharpen Lapid’s messages for the Israeli public and hone the campaign intended to lead Lapid right into the prime minister’s office. Ever since he returned to Israel, Lapid’s precise objective, as set by Mellman, can be clearly identified: He is trying to win the votes of the moderate right, or in other words, Likud supporters who opinions are more closely aligned with the political center — Israeli patriots. ...

To Lapid’s credit, he is leaving the impression that he has learned to enjoy his position in the opposition, even if he spends most of his time on public diplomacy trips overseas and on criticizing the left. ...

“We cannot abandon that front to people who hate Israel. We must defend Israel’s reputation in the world. We are being slandered, and we are being reviled. It is time for us to respond,” he reportedly explained to the press. He also used the occasion to laud a senior Likud official, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, for allowing him to bring a group of party activists to the airport so that they could engage in this important work, benefiting Israel’s public diplomacy campaign. ...

[H]e is building himself up as a leader with significant diplomatic standing in the international arena. He meets frequently with heads of state and foreign ministers and maintains close relationships with foreign representatives in Israel. ...