Haaretz

• 1. Founding And Early Years

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  The first edition of Haaretz appeared on the 18th of June 1919 in Jerusalem. A group of socialist-oriented Zionists from Russia established the paper under the name Hadashot Ha'aretz, meaning News of the Land. Isaac Leib Goldberg served as a key businessman behind its initial launch. British military sponsorship had supported the newspaper before this transition. The publication moved to Tel Aviv at the beginning of 1923 after a brief closure due to budgetary issues. Moshe Glickson took over editorship that year and held the post for fifteen years. The Tel Aviv municipality provided financial support by paying in advance for future advertisements. This early period saw the literary section attract leading Hebrew writers of the time. The paper was considered the most sophisticated daily in the Yishuv during the 1920s and 1930s.

• 2. Schocken Family Ownership

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  Salman Schocken purchased the newspaper in December 1935 after leaving Germany following the Nazi rise to power. He was active in Brit Shalom, also known as the Jewish, Palestinian Peace Alliance. His son Gershom Schocken became chief editor in 1939 and held that position until his death in 1990. The Schocken family remained sole owners of the Haaretz Group until August 2006. They sold a 25% stake to German publisher M. DuMont Schauberg during that month. Avi Primor, former Israeli ambassador to Germany, helped negotiate the deal. In December 2019, members of the Schocken family bought back all stock belonging to M. DuMont Schauberg. This transaction brought their ownership level to 75%, with Leonid Nevzlin holding the remaining 25%. A union strike in October 2012 caused a one-day interruption of the newspaper and its business supplement TheMarker.

• 3. Political Editorial Stance

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  Haaretz describes itself as having broadly liberal outlook on domestic issues and international affairs. It is often summarized as being liberal on security, civil rights, and economy. The paper consistently supports peace initiatives and opposes continuing the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Its editorial line favors weaker elements in Israeli society such as sex workers, foreign laborers, and Russian immigrants. David Remnick described it in The New Yorker as easily the most liberal newspaper in Israel. Stephen Glain called it Israel's liberal beacon for voicing opposition to discrimination against Arab citizens. J. J. Goldberg labeled it Israel's most vehemently anti-settlement daily paper. The paper strongly advocated a two-state solution in July 2025 during the Gaza, Israel conflict. It endorsed French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to include France among countries recognizing a Palestinian state by September 2025.

• 4. Ownership Controversies

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  The sale of a 25% stake to M. DuMont Schauberg in August 2006 sparked controversy across Israel. Kurt Neven DuMont, father of the German publisher, was a member of the Nazi Party. His publishing house had promoted Nazi ideology before the war. On the 12th of June 2011, Russian-Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin purchased a 20% stake in the Haaretz Group. He bought 15% from the Schocken family and 5% from M. DuMont Schauberg. This arrangement left the Schocken family with 75% ownership while Nevzlin held 25%. Critics questioned the ethics of partnering with entities linked to Nazi history. The deal raised concerns about the newspaper's independence and public perception. Despite these tensions, the Schocken family eventually reacquired all shares from the German publisher by December 2019.

• 5. Government Conflicts And Boycotts

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  On the 31st of October 2024, publisher Amos Schocken made remarks at a London conference criticizing the Netanyahu government. He referred to Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists during his speech. In response, Israeli interior, education, and diaspora ministries severed ties with Haaretz. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi advocated a boycott covering all government bodies and employees. By the 4th of November, the newspaper received hundreds of cancellation requests and saw declining advertising revenue. The foreign ministry cancelled 90 subscriptions alone. Amos Schocken distanced himself from parts of his comments the next day, stating terrorism use is not legitimate. On the 24th of November 2024, the Israeli government ordered an official boycott banning government officials from using the paper. Government advertising was also banned following critical reporting by editor Amos Schocken. This marked one of the most severe conflicts between the state and its press in recent years.

• 6. Circulation And Readership Demographics

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  A TGI survey in 2022 found Haaretz had third largest readership in Israel with exposure rate of 4.7%. It trailed behind Israel Hayom's 31% and another unnamed publication's 23.9%. Despite lower circulation numbers, it remains widely read by international observers especially through its English edition. The newspaper reported paid subscribership of 65,000 and daily sales of 72,000 copies in 2008. Weekend editions reached 100,000 copies while the English edition maintained a subscriber base of 15,000. Surveys from 1999 showed readers had above-average education, income, and wealth levels. Most were Ashkenazi Jews according to those same surveys. Hanoch Marmari noted the newspaper lost political influence because it became detached from country's political life. Shmuel Rosner stated people who read it are better educated but rest of country doesn't know it exists. The paper functions as Israel's newspaper of record among government leaders and economic elites.