In 1950 after leaving the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz (which head joined in 1949), Uri Avnery founded a mass circulation news magazine, HaOlam HaZeh (Hebrew for "The World That Is" or "This World") which he served as publisher and chief editorial writer during all of its 40 years. It was similar in style to Time magazine and Der Spiegel magazines, and a mouthpiece of aggressive political opposition, with exposes of political and economic corruption and proposals for a radically different national policy.
The magazine proposed a modern, liberal state of Israel belonging to all of its citizens, irrespective of ethnic, national or religious roots.
The chief of the Israeli secret service in the 50's later testified that the Ben-Gurion establishment considered Uri Avnery and Haolam Hazeh as "Public Enemy No.1." This might explain why its editorial offices and printing facilities were bombed several times. Avnery was ambushed and both his arms were broken after he criticized the infamous Kibieh massacre in 1953. In 1972 arson destroyed the offices of Haolam Hazeh. In 1975 he survived an assassination attempt. Throughout all this time all branches of the government and army maintained a total economic boycott against the paper.