HaOlam HaZeh

HaOlam HaZeh
Name	HaOlam HaZeh
Type	Weekly magazine
Format	Tabloid
Foundation	1937
Ceased publication	1993
Founders	Uri Zvi Greenberg?
Political	Populist, Revisionist Zionism-influenced early; later left-leaning
Language	Hebrew
Headquarters	Tel Aviv
Circulation	Peak ~50,000 (est.)

HaOlam HaZeh was an influential Hebrew-language weekly magazine and newspaper established in Mandatory Palestine and later published in the State of Israel, known for its sensationalist layout, investigative reporting, polemical commentary, and outspoken political positions. It combined news, essays, cartoons, and photography to challenge established Mapai-aligned outlets, engage with figures such as David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, and Moshe Sharett, and amplify voices from across the Israeli political spectrum. The publication's evolution touched on debates involving Zionism, Revisionist Zionism, Mapam, and later coalitional politics involving Likud.

History

Founded in the late 1930s during the period of Mandatory Palestine press expansion, the periodical emerged amid competition with weeklies linked to Labor Zionism and Revisionist Zionism. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s it covered events including the UN Partition Plan for Palestine (1947), the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and negotiations involving United Nations envoys, positioning itself against mainstream dailies such as Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronoth. In the 1950s and 1960s editorial shifts reflected interactions with personalities like Uri Avnery, who acquired and reoriented the title, engaging directly with debates around figures such as Golda Meir, Levi Eshkol, and Yitzhak Rabin. During the 1970s and 1980s the magazine reported on events including the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Camp David Accords, often publishing material at odds with establishment narratives promoted by outlets like Davar and broadcasters such as Israel Broadcasting Authority.

Editorial Line and Political Stance

The magazine's editorial trajectory shifted from early nationalist currents to a populist, anti-establishment voice that critiqued elites in Tel Aviv and in institutions such as the Knesset and the Histadrut. Under later editors it adopted positions sympathetic to dovish figures and engaged in dialogues with international actors including representatives from United Nations missions and peace advocates linked to Geneva Conference (1973)-era initiatives. Its pages carried polemics against leaders including Ariel Sharon and Yitzhak Shamir while also scrutinizing Labor politicians such as Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres. The magazine combined investigative exposes—sometimes drawing on material related to cases involving Shas politicians or business magnates—with cultural commentary referencing authors like S. Y. Agnon and artists associated with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.

Notable Contributors and Staff

Key figures associated with the publication included editors, journalists, and cartoonists who became controversial public intellectuals: founders and early directors worked alongside later editors such as Uri Avnery, columnists who debated with statesmen like David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan, and contributors from among poets and novelists connected to Israel Prize laureates. The magazine published writing by reporters who later moved to outlets like Haaretz and Maariv, and featured photography by photojournalists who covered conflicts involving Palestinian fedayeen actions and events in Lebanon. Cartoonists and illustrators who ran satirical pieces targeted figures such as Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin, while legal advisors and editors faced off against litigants including attorneys linked to Supreme Court of Israel cases.

Circulation and Influence

At its peak circulation in the mid-20th century the weekly reached tens of thousands of readers and competed with mainstream Hebrew-language publications including Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv. Its influence extended into parliamentary politics when staff or associates ran for seats in the Knesset or advised political lists such as Shlomtzion or Ratz-aligned campaigns, and when its investigative pieces prompted inquiries by bodies like the State Comptroller of Israel or prompted parliamentary questions in the Knesset. The magazine's readership included military veterans from units like Haganah and Irgun veterans, intellectuals from universities such as Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and activists associated with peace movements that later organized under banners similar to Peace Now.

Controversies and Legal Issues

The publication was repeatedly embroiled in libel suits, injunctions, and seizures by state authorities, confronting laws enforced by institutions like the Israeli Police and rulings from the Supreme Court of Israel. High-profile legal disputes involved prominent politicians and business figures who alleged defamation, provoking debates about press freedom and restrictions comparable to cases involving other outlets such as Haaretz or broadcast controversies before the Israel Broadcasting Authority. At times editors confronted criminal investigations related to allegations of illicit payments and undisclosed sources, and the magazine published material that implicated officials connected to ministries held by figures such as Pinhas Sapir and Yosef Burg, stimulating parliamentary committee scrutiny.

Legacy and Impact on Israeli Media

The publication's legacy persists in debates over tabloid aesthetics, investigative journalism standards, and the role of dissenting weeklies in Israeli public life; its approach influenced later outlets and journalists who worked at Channel 10 and Channel 2 news programs, as well as alternative weeklies and investigative units within newspapers including Maariv and Haaretz. Academics at institutions such as Tel Aviv University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have cited its archives in studies of media pluralism and Israeli political culture, and its staff alumni populated political projects spanning parties like Hadash and Meretz. The magazine is often referenced in memoirs by statesmen including David Ben-Gurion and critics such as Amos Oz as emblematic of a confrontational, independent strand in Israeli journalism.

Category:Hebrew-language newspapers Category:Defunct newspapers of Israel