Meet Dudu Topaz, the television star who ordered hits on the network suits. One of the country’s best known celebrities, Topaz (pictured) has been arrested on suspicion of coordinating a series of violent attacks on other Israeli media figures. He is currently in police custody and has been remanded to at least eight days’ detention while the case remains under partial gag order.
So here’s what happened. Back in November, Avi Nir, CEO of Israel’s Keshet Broadcasting network was attacked by unidentified assailants with clubs while walking his dog in a Tel Aviv park at 8pm. Then Shira Margalit, deputy director-general of Reshet Television, was assaulted in Tel Aviv by unknown assailants. Later, Israeli A-list celebrity agent Boaz Ben Zion was attacked near his home.
Topaz, nicknamed “The Ratings King,” is suspected of enlisting at least three security guards in Tel Aviv to carry out the attacks. According to media sources Topaz was furious at not being able to get a new television show - Ben Zion was his former agent and both Nir and Margalit are stakeholders in Israel’s Channel 2 Television station, where Topaz appeared.
Topaz allegedly found the security guards through a neighbor that employed them and police found threatening SMS texts sent by him to Margalit. Nir received several broken bones in the assault while Margalit suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket.
Topaz was previously in the international news for sexually harassing an actress on his talk show when he propositioned her, massaged her back and bit her shoulder on live TV.
