While on the plane on the way to Atlanta to address the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, political newcomer Yair Lapid believed he was leaving behind a set political scenario back home, predicting that in the Sept. 4 elections his new party would garner around 11 Knesset seats. By the time he landed in the U.S., however, the political scene back home in Israel had changed immeasurably. Elections were called off, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kadima Chairman Shaul Mofaz had formed a unity government. Lapid's world had turned upside down, his political fortunes up in the air. Lapid may be one of the biggest losers as yet of the new unity government deal. Lapid lashed out at the size of the 94-MK government, saying that the last time there was a coalition this wide was during the time of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

In a letter sent to his supporters, Lapid wrote "I know you are disappointed with what has happened over the past few days. Once because you are citizens of this country and it pains you to see how cynicism has taken over politics. Secondly because we were already into our campaign."

Lapid promised his followers that there were now "28 Knesset seats that disappeared from the political map, and they can be ours."

Speaking in Atlanta, Lapid admitted that "I came here, in what is for me, terrible timing," adding that he was "going into a campaign to unite all sane forces in the country."

"Not everything that happened in the last 24 hours is wrong. Kadima has come back to be what it actually always has been, which is part of the Likud," Lapid said.

"The political map has changed, and we are now the only central party," Lapid said, referring to his new party Yesh Atid ("There is a Future").

Lapid begins speaking at 5 minutes into the video.