22 Facts About Tommy Lapid

Joseph "Tommy" Lapid was a Yugoslav-born Israeli radio and television presenter, playwright, journalist, politician and government minister known for his sharp tongue and acerbic wit.

Tommy Lapid fiercely opposed the ultra-Orthodox political parties and actively sought to exclude any religious observance from the legal structure of the Israeli State.

Tommy Lapid was the father of Yair Lapid, who served as the 14th Prime Minister of Israel in 2022.

Tommy Lapid was born in Novi Sad, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, to a family of Hungarian Jewish descent.

Tommy Lapid's family was seized by the Nazis and deported to the Budapest Ghetto.

Tommy Lapid married Shulamit Lapid, an acclaimed novelist; they had three children.

Tommy Lapid and Shulamit's youngest daughter, Merav, is a clinical psychologist.

Tommy Lapid started out as a journalist for the Israeli Hungarian-language newspaper Uj Kelet.

Tommy Lapid was the founding editor of Israeli women's magazine At, as well as a successful playwright.

Tommy Lapid was awarded the Sokolov Award, Israel's top award in journalism, in 1998, for his weekly radio show.

Tommy Lapid became party chairman and Shinui won six seats in the 1999 elections, with Tommy Lapid entering the Knesset for the first time.

Shinui was invited to join the government of Ariel Sharon and Tommy Lapid was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice.

Tommy Lapid announced the formation of a Shadow Cabinet based on the British model on 3 January 2005, before being appointed Leader of the Opposition a week later.

In late March 2005, Tommy Lapid voted in favor of the budget in exchange for minor concessions in order to keep the government from falling, which was liable to lead to early elections and impede the implementation of the disengagement plan.

In Shinui's primary elections held shortly before the 2006 elections, Tommy Lapid retained the party leadership.

Tommy Lapid left Shinui two weeks after the vote and announced his support for Poraz's new party, but chose not to be involved in the new party's leadership, instead of serving as a figurehead.

In July 2006, Tommy Lapid was appointed Advisory Board Chairman of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, a role he called "a sacred duty".

Tommy Lapid appeared on Council of Wise Men, an Israeli television program on Israel 10 channel.

Tommy Lapid hosted his own radio program on Reshet Bet.

Tommy Lapid was a chairman of the Israel Chess Society and served as an honorary member of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.

Tommy Lapid was hospitalized at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv in serious condition on 30 May 2008.

Tommy Lapid died on 1 June 2008, aged 76, after a battle with cancer.