Joseph 'Tommy' Lapid, a Holocaust survivor, journalist, former Israeli justice minister, and outspoken critic of Israel's Orthodox religious establishment, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. Lapid was one of Israel's most prominent print journalists and notable TV personalities, renowned for his sharp tongue, acerbic pen and dry wit. Born in 1931 to Hungarian parents as Tomislav Lampel, his family was deported from then Yugoslavia by the Nazis to the Budapest ghetto. He survived with his mother and emigrated to Israel in 1948.
Lapid went on to become a journalist and later the director general of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. He was also a regular panelist on a popular TV news show. In 1999, he entered politics as head of the Shinui Party, which performed unexpectedly well in the 2003 Knesset elections by winning 15 seats. He became justice minister under prime minister Ariel Sharon. Lapid left parliament in 2006, returning to the media as a TV commentator and a newspaper columnist. He also became chairman of the board of directors at Yad Vashem, a role he described as a "sacred duty".
"Tommy was a Holocaust refugee, who lived the Holocaust experience his entire life," prime minister Ehud Olmert said at the weekly meeting of his cabinet. "Tommy Lapid was a Jew in every fiber of his soul. We lost a precious man, a dear Jew and a friend who cannot be replaced." Olmert opened the meeting by saying "Tommy Lapid was my closest friend, my most-loved friend for dozens of years." The two shared holidays with each other's families and met frequently. Tommy Lapid is survived by his wife Shulamit, two children and five grandchildren. His son, Yair, is one of Israel's most-popular TV hosts.
