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Dudu Topaz

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Dudu Topaz
Dudu Topaz, 2006
Born
David Goldenberg
Occupation(s)Actor and TV personality

Dudu Topaz (Hebrew: דודו טופז; September 20, 1946 – August 20, 2009) was an Israeli actor and TV personality.

Biography

Dudu Topaz (David Goldenberg) was born in Haifa. His father, Eliyahu, was an actor and a director.

Entertainment career

Topaz studied acting in London after completing his IDF service. Upon his return to Israel, he took up theater roles in Haifa, and performed shows around the country. His first television appearance was to teach English for an educational program.

Topaz was a television host in the Israeli public TV Channel 1 in the eighties, as well as running some successful sketch comedy shows on stage. In the nineties he was the host of popular show "Rashut Habidur" (The Entertainment Authority), that aired until 2004 on Channel 2 commercial channel, and is considered[by whom?] to be one of the highest rated shows ever aired on commercial TV in Israel. After the show ended, Topaz hosted several other shows on other channels, but in May 2007 he announced that he would no longer host TV shows, but would pursue other careers such as acting and documentary film making.

Political controversy

In 1981, Topaz gained notoriety from comments he made during an Israeli Labor Party conference in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square (then called Malchei Yisrael Square) when he said, "It's a pleasure to see the crowd here, and it's a pleasure to see that there are no chahchahim (a derogatory word alluding to Israeli Jews of Middle Eastern background) who ruin election gatherings. The Likud's chachchahim are at Metzudat Ze'ev." (Likud party headquarters)[1]

Arrest and death

In May 2009, Topaz was arrested by the Israeli police. He was suspected of paying for a series of attacks on high-ranking TV executives Avi Nir and Shira Margalit and showbiz agent Boaz Ben-Zion.[2] The three were beaten by unknown attackers and sustained serious wounds. Topaz allegedly went on this revenge spree when his show was taken off the air, and after multiple rejections from rival channels and newspapers for which he offered to write guest columns.[3] It was reported that he attempted to commit suicide in his prison cell, at the Abu Kabir detention facility in Tel Aviv.[4] A second suicide attempt on August 20, 2009 was successful, and at approximately 7 AM Topaz was found dead by a warden, hanged in a shower (the only place without video surveillance) in Nitzan Detention Center in Ramla.[5] He had apparently hanged himself using the cord from an electric kettle. [6]

References

  1. ^ ""Dudu Topaz arrested for ordering attack on TV execs"". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  2. ^ "Editorial:The Dudu Topaz show". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  3. ^ "Israel Talk Show Host Dudu Topaz Remanded". Sky News. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  4. ^ "Dudu Topaz attempts suicide in prison cell". Ynet. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  5. ^ "Entertainer Dudu Topaz commits suicide". Ynet. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  6. ^ "Entertainer Dudu Topaz kills himself in prison". Haaretz. Retrieved 2009-08-20.

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| #default = 1946 births

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