To call Israel from the US, dial 011, then 972 (Israel's country code), then the Israeli number without its leading 0. A Tel Aviv number written 03-xxx-xxxx becomes 011 972 3 xxx xxxx, or +972 3 xxx xxxx from a cell phone.
To call Israel from the US you dial the exit code, Israel's country code 972, and the Israeli number without its leading 0. The timing has two wrinkles worth knowing: Israel changes its clocks on different dates from the US, and the Israeli workweek runs Sunday to Thursday. This guide covers the codes, the formats you'll see, a time table with the gap weeks, a worked example, costs and WhatsApp.
The short version
| What you dial | For Israel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US exit code | 011 | Or + on a cell phone |
| Country code | 972 | All of Israel |
| Trunk prefix | 0 (drop it) | Israeli numbers are written with a leading 0 for calls inside Israel |
| Number after the 0 | 8 digits (landline) or 9 (mobile, 07x) | For example 3 xxx xxxx or 54 xxx xxxx |
| Full pattern | 011 972 + number without the 0 | +972 on a cell phone |
The area and mobile codes you'll see:
| Code | Value | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| US exit code | 011 | Starts an international call from the US |
| Israel country code | 972 | Routes the call to Israel |
| Israeli trunk prefix | 0 | Used inside Israel only; drop it from abroad |
| Landline area codes | 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 (written 02 to 09) | Jerusalem 02, Tel Aviv and the center 03, Haifa and the north 04, the south 08, the Sharon 09 |
| Mobile prefix | 5 (written 05x) | The digit after 05 originally showed the operator |
| Non-geographic | 7 (written 07x) | Often VoIP and business lines; dialed like mobiles |
Step by step from a US phone
- Get the full number with its prefix, such as 03-xxx-xxxx or 054-xxx-xxxx.
- Remove the first 0. 03 becomes 3; 054 becomes 54.
- Dial 011, or + on a cell phone.
- Dial 972.
- Dial the rest. Landlines have 8 digits after 972; mobiles and 07x numbers have 9.
Israeli businesses sometimes advertise short star numbers such as *xxxx. Those work only inside Israel. From the US, look for the full 0x number on their website.
Israeli number formats
| Type | Written in Israel | Dialed from the US |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem landline | 02-xxx-xxxx | 011 972 2 xxx xxxx |
| Tel Aviv / center landline | 03-xxx-xxxx | 011 972 3 xxx xxxx |
| Haifa / north landline | 04-xxx-xxxx | 011 972 4 xxx xxxx |
| Mobile | 05x-xxx-xxxx | 011 972 5x xxx xxxx |
| VoIP / non-geographic | 07x-xxx-xxxx | 011 972 7x xxx xxxx |
| Freephone | 1-800-xxx-xxx | Usually can't be dialed from abroad |
Israelis move numbers between carriers, so 050 or 054 no longer tells you the network. It does tell you it's a mobile, which matters for some US rate tables.
Worked example
We couldn't find numbers that Israel's Ministry of Communications reserves for examples, so we use x's in place of real digits.
| Written in Israel as | Dial from a US landline | Dial from a US cell phone |
|---|---|---|
| 03-xxx-xxxx (Tel Aviv office) | 011 972 3 xxx xxxx | +972 3 xxx xxxx |
| 052-xxx-xxxx (mobile) | 011 972 52 xxx xxxx | +972 52 xxx xxxx |
| 02-xxx-xxxx (Jerusalem) | 011 972 2 xxx xxxx | +972 2 xxx xxxx |
Say you're in New York on Sunday, March 15, 2026 and want to reach a Tel Aviv supplier at 2 p.m. their time. Their office is 03-xxx-xxxx and the manager's mobile is 052-xxx-xxxx.
- Find the gap: US daylight time started March 8, but Israel doesn't change until March 27. That week Israel is 6 hours ahead, so 2 p.m. in Tel Aviv is 8 a.m. in New York.
- Is it a workday? Sunday is a normal workday in Israel, so the office should be open.
- Office line: drop the 0 from 03 and dial 011 972 3 xxx xxxx (or +972 3 xxx xxxx).
- Mobile: drop the 0 from 052 and dial 011 972 52 xxx xxxx (or +972 52 xxx xxxx).
Time difference from the US
Israel is on UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. Israeli summer time starts on the Friday before the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. The US changes earlier in spring and later in fall, so the gap shrinks by an hour for a few weeks twice a year (IANA time zone database, checked October 18, 2026).
| US time zone | Israel is ahead by (most of the year) | During the gap weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York) | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Central (Chicago) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Mountain (Denver) | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| Pacific (Los Angeles) | 10 hours | 9 hours |
US clocks spring forward on the second Sunday of March and fall back on the first Sunday of November (15 U.S.C. § 260a). Most of Arizona and all of Hawaii stay on standard time all year, so for those states use the standard-time column year round.
Mind the workweek. Many Israeli offices work Sunday to Thursday, some open Friday morning, and Shabbat runs from Friday evening to Saturday evening. A Monday-morning call from the US East Coast (afternoon in Israel) works well; a Friday-afternoon call usually doesn't. Sunday morning in the US is Sunday afternoon in Israel, a normal working day there.
Also check the holiday calendar. Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Passover follow the Hebrew calendar, so their dates move from year to year on ours. Many businesses close or run short hours around them, and the days before a holiday often end early, like a Friday.
What it costs
- Carrier rates: Check your US carrier's international rate page for Israel, and whether mobiles are priced differently from landlines.
- Calling apps: Compare the Israel landline and mobile rows on your calling app's rate page.
- WhatsApp calls: App-to-app calls cost only data, and many Israelis prefer them for calls abroad.
- Star and 1-800 numbers: These are domestic only. Ask for a regular number.
Texting and WhatsApp
You can text an Israeli mobile at +972 5x xxx xxxx; check your plan for international text charges. In practice, WhatsApp is the main messaging app in Israel for families and many businesses alike, so if you have an ongoing relationship with someone there, ask whether they'd rather use WhatsApp.
Hebrew is written right to left, but phone numbers are written left to right in Israel just as in the US, so copying a number from an Israeli website works as you'd expect.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the 0: +972 054 won't connect. Drop the 0 so it reads +972 54.
- Dialing a star number: Short numbers like *xxxx work only inside Israel. Find the full 0x number on the company's website.
- Calling on Friday afternoon or Saturday: Many offices close early Friday and stay closed for Shabbat. Sunday to Thursday is the safe window.
- Missing the gap weeks: Israel springs forward on a Friday in late March, weeks after the US, so for part of March it's 6 hours ahead of New York instead of 7.
- Mixing up the area codes: 02 is Jerusalem and 03 is Tel Aviv. A number without its area code will reach the wrong city or nobody.
Sources
Country code: the ITU entry for Israel (+972) in the ITU national numbering plans, which points to the Ministry of Communications' numbering plan. We couldn't find numbers the Ministry reserves for fiction, so examples use x placeholders. Exit code: FCC international calling tip sheet (011 is the US exit code). Clocks: IANA time zone database and 15 U.S.C. § 260a (US daylight saving time runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November). Checked October 18, 2026.
Where Chargezen fits
To be clear up front: Chargezen isn't an international calling service. It doesn't sell calling plans or numbers in Israel; its numbers are US (+1) numbers only. For calls to Israel, use your carrier, a calling app or WhatsApp as described above.
Where it helps is the other direction, when customers in Israel reach your US business. From Israel, customers dial 00 1 and your 10-digit US number (or +1 on a mobile). Because Israel is seven hours ahead of the East Coast and works Sunday to Thursday, many of their calls land before you open or on your Sunday. Concierge answers calls on your US number day and night, from the business details you give it. When a caller needs a person, Concierge alerts your team in the Finn app and the browser, and a teammate can join the live call. Calls, texts and notes for each customer stay in one thread in the team inbox.
See the phone channel and the AI receptionist, get a local or toll-free US number, or bring the number you already have. Concierge can also answer on WhatsApp when you connect a WhatsApp Business number.
Related terms: VoIP, toll-free number and number porting. Related guides: how to call Türkiye from the US and how to call Ireland from the US.
Frequently asked questions
What is the country code for Israel?
972. From the US, dial 011 972, or +972 from a cell.
Do I drop the 0 when calling Israel?
Yes. 054-xxx-xxxx becomes +972 54 xxx xxxx, and 02-xxx-xxxx becomes +972 2 xxx xxxx.
What days are Israeli businesses open?
Most work Sunday through Thursday. Some open Friday morning. Plan calls for Sunday to Thursday, Israel time.
Why is Israel only 6 hours ahead of New York some weeks?
Because the US starts daylight saving time weeks before Israel in March, and ends it a week after Israel in the fall.
Can Chargezen call or text Israel?
Chargezen isn't an international calling service and offers US (+1) numbers only, and its texting is set up for US numbers. Use your carrier, a calling app or WhatsApp for Israel. Chargezen answers the calls customers in Israel make to your US number.
