Yair Lapid on CNN. Photo: Screenshot.

Israeli political star, Yair Lapid, was ranked #31 on Foreign Policy’s annual list of global thinkers to keep an eye on, released Friday.

Lapid has staked out a space on the center-left of the Israeli political spectrum, with the establishment of his Yesh Atid (“There’s a Future”) party. His rise since has been meteoric.

According to Foreign Policy, the Global Magazine of News and Ideas, Lapid’s focus on socioeconomic issues and matters related to group privilege struck a chord, especially with young people. Yesh Atid came in second to the slate of candidates presented jointly by the Likud and Israel Beiteinu parties, an outcome that earned Lapid the role of finance minister.

Lapid’s political campaign was a watershed event in Israel since it proved that a platform not fixated exclusively on matters of peace and security has traction. Despite reports that Israelis were shifting to the right, the success of Yesh Atid at the polls proved that the country’s political center is a viable force.