Yaakov Weinroth, one of Israel's most prominent attorneys and the long-time lawyer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wide Sara, died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. He was 71.
"My wife and I are shocked and saddened by the passing of the beloved Yaakov Weinroth," Netanyahu said in a statement.
"Yaakov was a man of phenomenal character, wisdom, sense of justice and loyalty to his people. This is a great loss for his family and all those who knew him and a great loss to the world of Israeli law."
Weinroth was born in 1947 in Ansbach, Germany. His family moved to Israel in 1949 and settled in Netanya, in central Israel.
He served in the IDF's Infantry Corp and was later a reservist with the Military Advocate General's Corps.
An observant Jew, Weinroth studied in religious seminaries and was ordained as a rabbi before pursuing his legal education and earning a doctorate in law from Tel Aviv University.
In 1972, Weinroth established his law firm, where he remained an active partner until the last few weeks of his life. He specializes in white collar and civil litigation and quickly earned a reputation as one of Israel's leading litigator.
He represented a series of top politicians in some of the country's most well-known legal cases, including the late former minister Rafael Eitan, former minister Meir Sheetrit, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the late former President Ezer Weizman.
Over the years, Weinroth served as the government's emissary on various political and diplomatic issues, some of which remain classified.
In recent years, he has been most identified with representing Netanyahu in his various legal cases.
Earlier this year, the Israel Police recommended indicting Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two separate cases. The prime minister's wife, Sara, is also standing trial for alleged fraud.
'One of a kind'
"Attorney Yaakov Weinroth was a unique individual. Wise, educated, and with a great understanding of human beings," Lieberman said in a statement.
"As a religious Jew, Weinroth always tried to bridge the two worlds. He will be missed by the Israeli public and by me, personally. May his memory be a blessing."
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked issued a statement saying Weinroth "was one of Israel's most respectable and leading jurists. He symbolized the best of modern Zionism and was a complex and contradictory man – a brilliant Yeshiva student who was ordained as a rabbi on the one hand, and a member of the Military Advocate General's Corps on the other."
Shaked described Weinroth as a "first-rate defense attorney who held suspects' rights sacred. His sharp and open mind and kind heart were luminous in the Israeli judiciary. May his memory be blessed."
The Israeli Bar Association said it "mourns the passing of Dr. Yaakov Weinroth, one of the most prominent lawyers in Israel; a man of great character, wisdom, modesty and courtesy, who has contributed greatly to shaping the legal profession in Israel.
"For years, he represented leading public figures and he made his mark on numerous legal precedents. The Israeli Bar Association offers its deepest condolences to the family and the judiciary," the statement said, adding the IBA plans to hold a special tribute to Weinroth, the date of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Knesset State Control Committee Chairwoman MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) said that "the public will undoubtedly remember Yaakov Weinroth as an attorney to the affluent, but he was far more complex.
"Despite the inherent contradiction, he held well-reasoned and well-informed socialist opinions, charged minimal retainers from those who could not afford his services, and donates vast amounts to charity without ever demanding public acknowledgment. I offer the family my heartfelt condolences. May his memory be blessed."
Weinroth is survived by his wife and six children. His funeral is scheduled to take place in his hometown of Netanya on Tuesday evening.
