Known as the “King of the Ratings”, Dudu Topaz brought Israeli television into the modern era, his brash, vulgar charm and feel for commercial, populist television making him the country’s most recognisable personality. But he was unable to cope when his career waned, arranging violent attacks on those he held responsible and subsequently taking his own life. Born David Goldenberg in Haifa in 1946, Topaz changed his name in order to sound less formal and more glamorous. He built his reputation in the 1970s, initially as a stand-up comic, and the merciless way in which he mocked aspects of Israeli society and culture was in perfect step with a society now confident enough to laugh at itself. It was in this context that Topaz was appointed Labour Party spokesman in 1981, the first time that he attracted real controversy. At a... [read full story]
