Telephone numbers in Israel

Telephone numbers in Israel consist of an area code and a subscriber number. The dial plan type in Israel is closed, and "0" is the internal Trunk prefix in Israel. Israel's country calling code is +972.

When dialing an Israeli number from inside of Israel, the format is :
"0 - Area/network operator code (A/N) - subscriber number (X)"

When dialing an Israeli number from outside Israel, the format is :
"+972 - Area/network operator code (A/N) - subscriber number (X)"

History

Until the 1990s, telephone numbers in Israel had 6 digits (except in its early days), and until the 2000s, there were 8 area codes allocated to Bezeq, by region. Currently numbers have seven digits and Bezeq controls 6 area codes - 2 (Jerusalem), 3 (Gush Dan), 4 and 6 (Haifa and northern areas) were merged, as well as 7 (south), 8 (Shfela) and 9 (Sharon).

With the influence of VOIP long distance was deregulated in Israel. According to the Israel Ministry of Communication a VOIP number may be ported to a landline carrier and vice versa providing the option to have, say, a northern number in the south of the country. Numbers may not be ported, say, from the north to the south of the country on the same kind of line (e.g., VOIP to VOIP or landline to landline). Mobile number portability between cellular providers was introduced in late 2007.

Structure and format

The format for calls to landlines within the same area code is XXX-XXXX (7 digits subscriber number). For calls to a landline outside the local area, the area code is prefixed and the format becomes (0A) XXX-XXXX for calls to landlines, where "0A" is the area code.

The format for calls to cellular mobile phones is 05N-XXX-XXXX, where "05N" is the mobile operator indicator. The format for calls to VOIP lines is 07N-XXX-XXXX, where "07N" is the VOIP operator indicator.

When calling from outside of Israel, the leading "0" in area codes is not dialed, and the format is +972-A-XXX-XXXX for calls to landlines, +972-5N-XXX-XXXX for calls to mobile lines, +972-7N-XXX-XXXX for calls to VOIP lines.

International call prefix

For calling from Israel to another country: choose operator, and dial its international access code, then dial destination country code and then the rest of the local number.

• 00 or + – short code (only registered customers)
• 012 – 012 Smile service
• 013 – 013 NetVision service
• 014 – Bezeq International service
• 015 – Hallo 015 service
• 016 – Golan Telecom service
• 017 – Hot Mobile service
• 018 – Exphone service
• 019 – 019 Telzar service

Area codes

Due to mobile number portability, a mobile phone with a prefix of one provider can be associated with a different provider.

Geographic area codes

When dialing within one of the geographical area codes (2, 3, 4, 8, 9) the prefix can be dropped (so instead of dialing (0A)XXX-XXXX you can dial XXX-XXXX).

• Typical format for a landline number is "+972-A-XXX-XXXX"

2 - Jerusalem District area code
3 - Tel Aviv District & Central District area code
4 - Haifa District & Northern District area code
8 - Lowland & Southern District area code
9 - Sharon area code

In the geographic area codes, first digits of the local number are identifying service operator:
A-2XX-XXXX - Paltel (In the Palestinian Territories)
A-30X-XXXX - Hot
A-31X-XXXX - Hot
A-32X-XXXX - Hot
A-372-XXXX - 012 Smile (Partner)
A-373-XXXX - Cellcom
A-374-XXXX - Partner 
A-376-XXXX - Bezeq International
A-377-XXXX - Veidan
A-5XX-XXXX - Bezeq
A-6XX-XXXX - Bezeq
A-7XX-XXXX - Bezeq
A-8XX-XXXX - Bezeq
A-9XX-XXXX - Bezeq

Cellular and mobile devices area code

• Typical format for a mobile phone number is "+972-5N-XXX-XXXX"

50 - Pelephone
52 - Cellcom
53 - Hot mobile[2]
54 - Partner 
55-X - Mobile virtual network operators (MVNO's)
55-2 - Home Cellular
55-6 - Rami Levy
55-7 - Cellact
55-8 - YouPhone (merged now Pelephone)
55-9 - 019 Telzar
56 - Wataniya Mobile (in the Palestinian territories)
58 - Golan Telecom
59 - Jawwal (in the Palestinian territories)

Non-geographic nationwide area code

Non-geographic nationwide area code can be used by Landline and VoIP operators.

• Typical format for a VoIP number is "+972-7N-XXX-XXXX"

72-2 - 012 Smile (Partner)
72-3 - 012 Smile (Partner)
73-2 - Cellcom
73-3 - Cellcom
73-7 - Veidan
74-7 - Partner
76-5 - Bezeq International
76-8 - Bezeq
77-X - Hot
79-5 - Hallo 015
79-7 - Cellact
79-9 - 019 Telzar

Special numbers

Special numbers include emergency and aid services, along with technical support and other provider services:^[3]

100 - Police
101 - Ambulance Service
102 - Fire Fighters
103 - Electric Corporation
104 - Home Front Command (Information about how to act in war and earthquake)
106 - Municipal Call Center  <in most cities>
107 - Municipal Call Center  <in some cities>
108 - Municipal Call Center  <in some cities>
109 - Municipal Call Center  <in some cities>
110 - Police information service
118 - Ministry of Social Affair's emergency service
1201 - Mental health first aid
1255 XXX - Hospital Information Center <only in times of emergency>
*XXXX - (Star and 4 digits) Speed dial service
1234 - Bezeq-Card service (Bezeq lines only)
1455 - Speaking clock - Time and date in Israel and around the world
142 - Collect Call
144 - Telephone Listings Information
166 - Bezeq technical support
199 - Bezeq customer service
164 - Bezeq business customer service
1 599 XXX XXX - Business Toll
1 700 XXX XXX - Business Toll
1 80X XXX XXX - Toll Free
1 90X XXX XXX - Premium
Note - The Israeli telecommunication infrastructure is available and used extensively in the Palestinian Territories too.

Kosher numbers

Kosher phones and networks are essentially phones with Haredi rabbinical approval that can be used for communication without entertainment functionality or connectivity. This is a line that has a pre-defined prefix and it is blocked to content that Haredi activists feel is not appropriate for their community. Such blocking includes cellular internet access, chat rooms, SMS, etc. It should not be imputed that other phones are not kosher according to Jewish law, as evidenced by the fact that a very large number - if not the majority - of observant Orthodox Jews worldwide do not restrict themselves to "kosher" phones; rather the description "kosher" phones is a loose one, implying an added level of stringency accepted by some communities.

Some mobile plans include a large allocation of minutes to kosher numbers, which are:

+972 50 41X XXXX  - Pelephone
+972 52 71X XXXX  - Cellcom, second range
+972 52 76X XXXX  - Cellcom, first range
+972 53 31X XXXX  - Hot Mobile
+972 54 84X XXXX  - Partner, first range
+972 54 85X XXXX  - Partner, second range
+972 58 32X XXXX  - Golan Telecom (official kosher numbers; introduced 2014-01-01)
+972 58 31X XXXX  - Golan Telecom (not officially kosher)
+972 58 37X XXXX  - Golan Telecom (not officially kosher)

Additional numbers currently not in use

See also

• Telephone numbers in the Palestinian territories

References

1. ↑ Hospital emergency services available in +972 1255-XXX. Other emergency services available from abroad by its full number (full numbers can be found in the Internet).
2. ↑ Former prefix 057. Changed to 053 in November 2014.
3. ↑ Emergency numbers

External links

• Israel Ministry of Communication
• Presentation of E.164 National Numbering For Country Code 972 (Israel), Update August 2007, Israel Ministry of Communication
• Israel Ministry of Communications numbering program (Hebrew)
• Shortened business numbers (star numbers) at the Israel Ministry of Communications (Hebrew)
• Change of 057 prefix to 053 (Hebrew)