Dudu Topaz Image by YONI HAMENACHEM

In a real-life scandal far juicier than his TV shows, an Israeli actor and talk show host admitted June 2 to orchestrating a string of violent attacks on executives within the country’s entertainment industry.

Dudu Topaz Image by YONI HAMENACHEM

Dudu Topaz, long a staple of Israeli television and movies, made his confession after “breaking down” during an interview with police, Israeli media reported in headlines that eclipsed much of the day’s other news. The confession came two days after the performer’s arrest, and 24 hours after a Tel Aviv judge extended his remand by more than a week, reportedly due to fears that Topaz might flee the country.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

A veteran of Israel’s entertainment industry known for controversial slips of the tongue and other antics, Topaz, born David Goldenberg, has floundered professionally in recent years after drawing huge television ratings earlier in his career. Two recent talk shows and a reality series fizzled after just one season, failures the star may have blamed on his alleged victims. He is accused of hiring at least two young men with criminal records to assault the three victims — agent Boaz Ben-Zion and executives at rival television companies Keshet and Reshet, both of which employed Topaz in recent years. The victim of the most recent attack, Reshet official Shira Margalit, is recovering from injuries inflicted by unknown assailants outside her home in mid-May.

In the most recent post on his personal blog, dated April 1, the entertainer thanked fans for their “desire to see me as a host on television again.” Whether that would happen, he added, “doesn’t depend on me, but on television’s decision makers.”

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount