HaOlam HaZeh

HaOlam HaZeh, whose Hebrew name means “This World,” was an Israeli weekly news magazine published from 1937 until 1993. It began under the name Tesha BaErev, meaning “Nine in the Evening,” and adopted the HaOlam HaZeh name in 1946. The publication became particularly influential after Uri Avnery, Shalom Cohen, and two other investors acquired it in 1950. The other investors soon withdrew, leaving Avnery and Cohen as the central figures associated with the magazine’s development. Under Avnery’s leadership, HaOlam HaZeh developed a deliberately unconventional editorial identity. It pursued investigative stories that challenged official narratives and frequently presented them in a dramatic, provocative, or sensational form. The magazine’s tone contrasted sharply with that of Israel’s mainstream press, and its reporting often attracted hostility from government ministers and other establishment figures. Officials periodically called for the publication to be closed, especially when it reported—or claimed to report—government misconduct and political scandals. The magazine’s popularity also made it a target of organized competition: the government secretly supported the rival publication Rimon for a period, but the effort did not displace HaOlam HaZeh. The magazine occupied an unusual position in the Israeli media system. Although mainstream newspapers often criticized its style, journalists and other publications sometimes passed stories to HaOlam HaZeh when they believed they could not publish them under their own names or in their own outlets. From the late 1950s, it also became an important forum for advocacy of a Palestinian state, giving the publication a political significance beyond ordinary magazine journalism. Beginning in 1959, HaOlam HaZeh used a distinctive two-cover format. The front cover generally emphasized serious political or investigative journalism, while the back cover promoted more sensational material, including gossip, sexual themes, and at times nude photography. This packaging made the magazine visually recognizable and helped it reach readers interested in both hard news and popular entertainment. The magazine also published material concerning sexuality and social marginalization, including coverage of Rina Ben-Menahem’s first book, HaDavka'im, in a feature about lesbian life in Israel. HaOlam HaZeh’s reporting was associated with several politically sensitive episodes, including coverage of the Qibya massacre, the Kasztner libel trial, the Kafr Qasim massacre, and an account by Ben Dunkelman concerning an alleged aborted effort to expel residents of Nazareth. In 1984, the magazine was the first publication to print one of the photographs showing a prisoner being removed from the hijacked Bus 300. The image contradicted official army statements that all of the hijackers had died during the assault and became an important element in public scrutiny of the affair. The magazine’s political influence also directly shaped Israeli party politics. In the mid-1960s, Avnery and Cohen founded a political party named HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash after the publication. Avnery entered the Knesset in 1965, and Cohen joined him after the party won a second seat in 1969. Cohen left the party in 1972, and Avnery renamed it Meri the following year. The magazine continued publication for several more decades before ceasing in 1993. Its legacy rests on a combination of investigative journalism, anti-establishment politics, sensational design, and willingness to cover subjects that established Israeli media often treated cautiously.

HaOlam HaZeh originated in 1937 as a weekly publication called Tesha BaErev, or “Nine in the Evening.” It was renamed HaOlam HaZeh in 1946. The title later became closely associated with Uri Avnery and Shalom Cohen, who acquired the magazine with two other investors in 1950. The additional investors soon withdrew, while Avnery and Cohen guided the publication’s editorial and political direction. The magazine’s defining character emerged under Avnery. It rejected the restrained tone associated with much of Israel’s mainstream press and instead combined investigative journalism with provocative writing, dramatic headlines, and sensational treatment. Its reporting frequently targeted government conduct, security policy, political elites, and social taboos. Ministers and establishment figures repeatedly demanded that the magazine be shut down, particularly after reports concerning alleged official wrongdoing. The government also secretly financed a competing magazine, Rimon, in an unsuccessful attempt to weaken HaOlam HaZeh’s influence. Despite its controversial reputation, the publication occupied a significant place in Israel’s information environment. Other journalists sometimes supplied it with stories that their own publications were unwilling or unable to print. From 1957 onward, it became an important platform for arguments in favor of a Palestinian state. Its editorial practice was not limited to conventional political reporting: it also covered popular culture, gossip, sexuality, and socially marginal subjects. In 1959, HaOlam HaZeh introduced a two-cover design. The front cover generally promoted serious reporting, while the back cover highlighted sensational stories and sexual or gossip-related content. The approach differentiated the magazine from conventional newspapers and became central to its public identity. One example of its socially provocative coverage was a feature concerning Rina Ben-Menahem’s first book, HaDavka'im, presented in the context of a report about lesbian life in Israel. HaOlam HaZeh was connected with reporting on several major and contested episodes in Israeli history, including the Qibya massacre, the Kasztner libel trial, the Kafr Qasim massacre, and Ben Dunkelman’s account of an alleged plan to remove residents from Nazareth that was ultimately abandoned. Its most consequential late-period intervention came in 1984, when it published a photograph of a prisoner being removed from the Bus 300 hijacking. The photograph undermined official claims that all hijackers had been killed during the rescue operation and contributed to public pressure over the affair. The publication’s political role became explicit in the 1960s. Avnery and Cohen founded HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash, a political party named after the magazine. Avnery won a Knesset seat in the 1965 election, and Cohen entered the Knesset after the party gained a second seat in 1969. Cohen departed in 1972, and Avnery renamed the party Meri in 1973. The magazine itself continued to publish until 1993. Its historical importance derives from its ability to combine investigative exposure, political dissent, mass-market sensationalism, and coverage of subjects that were often excluded or softened by more conventional media.

1. 1993Publication ends

   HaOlam HaZeh ceases to be published as a weekly magazine.

   Source
2. 1984Bus 300 photograph published

   HaOlam HaZeh publishes a photograph that challenged official statements about the fate of the Bus 300 hijackers.

   Source
3. 1972Shalom Cohen leaves the associated party

   Cohen departs from the political party that had been named after the magazine.

   Source
4. 1969The associated party gains a second Knesset seat

   Shalom Cohen joins Avnery in the Knesset after the party wins a second seat.

   Source
5. 1965Associated political party wins a Knesset seat

   Uri Avnery is elected to the Knesset for HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash, the party founded by Avnery and Cohen.

   Source
6. 1959Two-cover format introduced

   The magazine begins separating serious front-cover journalism from more sensational and sexual back-cover material.

   Source
7. 1957The magazine becomes a forum for Palestinian statehood advocacy

   HaOlam HaZeh develops a prominent role in presenting arguments supporting the creation of a Palestinian state.

   Source
8. 1950Uri Avnery and Shalom Cohen acquire the magazine

   Avnery, Cohen, and two other investors purchase the magazine. The other investors soon withdraw, leaving Avnery and Cohen as its principal associated owners and editors.

   Source
9. 1946The magazine is renamed HaOlam HaZeh

   The publication adopts the name HaOlam HaZeh, translated as “This World,” which remains its established identity.

   Source
10. 1937Publication begins as Tesha BaErev

    The weekly magazine is launched under the Hebrew name Tesha BaErev, meaning “Nine in the Evening.”

    Source

An anti-establishment Israeli news magazine combining investigative reporting and political advocacy with sensational presentation, gossip, and socially provocative coverage.

• HaOlam HaZeh weekly magazineNews magazine1937

  The core product was an Israeli weekly news magazine covering politics, security, government conduct, social issues, culture, gossip, and sexuality. It became known for investigative reports that challenged official accounts and for a highly recognizable sensational style. The magazine’s two-cover format allowed it to present serious reporting on the front and more provocative popular material on the back, broadening its appeal while reinforcing its anti-establishment image.

• Investigative and political reportingEditorial offering

  HaOlam HaZeh’s principal editorial offering was politically confrontational reporting focused on government decisions, military affairs, scandals, and contested historical events. Its coverage of the Qibya massacre, Kafr Qasim massacre, the Kasztner libel trial, Nazareth, and the Bus 300 affair exemplified its willingness to publish material that challenged official or establishment narratives.

• Two-cover issue formatMagazine format1959

  Introduced in 1959, the two-cover format divided the magazine’s presentation between serious journalism and more sensational content. The front emphasized political and investigative stories, while the back often featured gossip, sexual themes, and at times nude photography. The format was both an editorial statement and a distinctive way of positioning the magazine in the Israeli market.

• 1965Expanded from media influence into electoral politicsStrategy

  Uri Avnery and Shalom Cohen used the magazine’s political identity as the basis for establishing a new party.

  What changed. They founded HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash, a political party named after the publication.

  Aftermath. Avnery entered the Knesset in 1965, and Cohen joined him after the party won a second seat in 1969. Cohen left in 1972, and Avnery renamed the party Meri in 1973.

  Source
• 1959Adopted the two-cover editorial formatStrategy

  The magazine sought to combine serious political journalism with the sensational and popular material for which it was also known.

  What changed. It introduced a front cover focused on serious reporting and a back cover devoted to more sensational, gossip-oriented, or sexual content.

  Aftermath. The format became one of HaOlam HaZeh’s defining characteristics and reinforced its distinctive position in Israeli magazine publishing.

  Source

• 1984Bus 300 reporting challenges official statementsControversy

  HaOlam HaZeh published a photograph showing a captured Bus 300 hijacker being taken away. The image contradicted the army’s public claim that all hijackers had died during the operation and made the magazine a prominent participant in scrutiny of the affair.

  Source

• 1993HaOlam HaZeh ceases publication

  The Israeli weekly magazine ended its publication run after more than five decades.

  Other
  Source
• 1959HaOlam HaZeh adopts a two-cover format

  The magazine began using a front cover for serious journalism and a back cover for more sensational, gossip-oriented, and sexual material, creating one of its most recognizable editorial and commercial features.

  Other
  Source
• 1957HaOlam HaZeh becomes an important forum for advocacy of a Palestinian state

  The magazine’s political reporting and commentary increasingly provided a public platform for advocacy of Palestinian statehood and criticism of prevailing Israeli policy.

  Other
  Source

1. HaOlam HaZeh
2. HaOlam HaZeh official website