Yair Lapid's Surprising Birthday Tradition with Sara Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Opposition leader Yair Lapid revealed he calls Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara Netanyahu, every year to wish her a happy birthday on their shared November 5th birthday. Lapid, who turned 63 and celebrated Sara Netanyahu's 68th, described their personal relationship as good despite his political rivalry with the Prime Minister. He contrasted his positive view of Sara Netanyahu with his criticism of her son, Yair Netanyahu.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yair Lapid calls Sara Netanyahu annually to wish her a happy birthday on their shared November 5th date.
- Lapid, 63, and Sara Netanyahu, 68, share a birthday, a fact known since at least 2019.
- Lapid stated his personal relationship with Sara Netanyahu is good, despite political rivalry with her husband.
- He contrasted his positive view of Sara Netanyahu with criticism of her son, Yair Netanyahu.
- Lapid publicly acknowledged the tradition on Twitter in November 2020.
Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, celebrated her 68th birthday on Thursday. Coincidentally, Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid also shares the same birthday, turning 63. Lapid revealed in a November 2024 interview with Roni Kovan on Kan 11 that he maintains a little-known tradition of calling Sara Netanyahu each year to wish her a happy birthday.
This gesture is notable given the significant political rivalry between Lapid and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The tradition reportedly began years prior, with Lapid mentioning in November 2019 that he and Sara Netanyahu exchanged birthday greetings annually on November 5th. At that time, he emphasized his good personal relationship with her, despite political disagreements with her husband.
In November 2020, Lapid publicly acknowledged the tradition on his Twitter account, posting birthday wishes to Sara Netanyahu and noting, "As every year, I wish Sara Netanyahu a happy birthday on our shared birthday. Only joy and only health."
During the 2024 interview, Lapid further elaborated on his personal interactions with Sara Netanyahu, contrasting them with public criticism she has faced. He described her as always kind and pleasant to both himself and his wife, Liahi Lapid. Lapid stated he had never personally experienced negative behavior attributed to her in various publications and expressed appreciation for her loyalty to her husband.
However, Lapid distinguished his personal regard for Sara Netanyahu from his critical stance towards her son, Yair Netanyahu. While offering praise for the Prime Minister's wife, Lapid voiced strong criticism of Yair Netanyahu, particularly regarding his involvement in public discourse and social media.