View source for Bezeq

{{Short description|Israeli telecommunications company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Bezeq The Israeli Telecommunication Corp Ltd.
| logo = Bezeq Logo.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| native_name = בזק, החברה הישראלית לתקשורת בע"מ
| native_name_lang = he
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{TLV|BEZQ}}
| foundation = {{start date and age|1984}}
| location_city = [[Azrieli Center]], [[Tel Aviv]]
| location_country = [[Israel]]
| key_people = Tomer Raved <small>(chairman)</small><ref name="globes-fiber">{{cite news|url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-fiber-optics-will-reach-50-of-israeli-homes-this-year-1001376280|title="Fiber-optics will reach 50% of Israeli homes this year"|author=Perez, Gad|work=[[Globes (newspaper)|Globes]]|date=June 29, 2021|accessdate=July 1, 2021}}</ref><br />Nir David <small>([[CEO]])</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3740498,00.html|title = Bezeq Names New CEO Amid Criminal Investigation Involving Netanyahu|date = 18 June 2018}}</ref>
| industry = [[Telecommunication]]s
| products = [[Fixed line]], [[mobile telephony]], [[Internet]], [[cable television]]
| revenue = {{increase}} [[Israeli new shekel|₪]]9.98 billion <SMALL>(2015)</SMALL><ref>{{cite web|url=http://maya.tase.co.il/bursa/CompanyDetails.asp?CompanyCd=230|title=דף הבית - מאיה – מערכת אינטרנט להודעות - הבורסה לניירות ערך|last=TASE|access-date=26 December 2016}}</ref>
| num_employees = 15,132
| subsid = [[Pelephone]], [[Bezeq International]], [[Yes (Israel)|yes]]
| homepage = [http://www.bezeq.co.il www.bezeq.co.il]
}}
[[File:Bezeq - Or Yehuda telephone exchange.JPG|thumb|250px|A Bezeq telephone exchange in [[Or Yehuda]]]]
[[File:Bezeqroute1831.jpg|thumb|250px|Bezeq company van]]
[[File:עמוד טלפון ישן עקום ועמוס בגבעת נשר בעיר נשר.jpg|200px|thumb|An old crooked and crowded telephone pole in the city of [[Nesher]] in [[Israel]]]]
'''Bezeq''' ({{langx|he|בזק}}) is an Israeli [[telecommunication]]s company. Bezeq and its subsidiaries offer a range of telecom services, including [[fixed-line]], [[mobile telephony]], [[high-speed Internet]], [[Fiber-optic communication|Fiber Internet]] transmission, and [[pay TV]] (via [[Yes (Israel)|Yes]]).

The company is traded in the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]] under the symbol BEZQ, and is part of the [[TA-35 Index|Tel Aviv 35]] Index.<ref>{{Cite web |title=דף הבית - הבורסה לניירות ערך בתל אביב {{!}} אתר הבורסה |url=https://market.tase.co.il/he/market_data/company/230/about |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=market.tase.co.il}}</ref>

==History==
In the late 1980s [[Anat Hoffman]] founded a group to protect the interests of Bezeq customers. A major complaint was that Bezeq did not send customers itemized bills. 46 cases were brought to small claims court and the consumers won 43 of them. Within two years of the campaign. consumers began to receive itemized bills.<ref>"Ahren, Raphael: A gadfly on the Wall (4 September 2013)"http://www.timesofisrael.com/a-gadfly-on-the-wall/</ref>

In April 2012, Bezeq acquired full ownership of [[Walla! Communications Ltd|Walla! Communications]], Israel's leading Internet portal, which has more than 2.5 million monthly unique users. In December 2020, Bezeq sold its 100% stake in Walla! Communications.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

Bezeq operates the [[B144]] [[Directory assistance|directory enquiries]] service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=אודות השירות באתר - בזק B144 |url=https://www.b144.co.il/about.aspx |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=B144 |language=he}}</ref>

In February 2015, Bezeq acquired full ownership of Yes, Israel's leading television provider, for [[Israeli new shekel|₪]]680 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-11 |title=Bezeq buys Yes for NIS 680m - Globes |url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-bezeq-buys-yes-for-nis-680m-1001008968 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=en.globes.co.il |language=en}}</ref>

===Loss of monopoly status===

Until the mid-first decade of the 21st century when it was owned by the Israeli government, Bezeq had a [[monopoly]] on [[landline]] [[telephony]] and [[Internet]] access infrastructure ([[ADSL]] [[VDSL2]]).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bezeq.co.il/Cultures/en-US/Bezeq/About+Us/News/Articles+2004/Second+quarter+2004/Page_20_04_2004.htm|date=20 April 2004|publisher=Bezeq|title=500,000 subscribers for Bezeq's ADSL service|access-date=3 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002031633/http://www.bezeq.co.il/Cultures/en-US/Bezeq/About+Us/News/Articles+2004/Second+quarter+2004/Page_20_04_2004.htm|archive-date=2 October 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Though still the most dominant provider of telephone services,<ref>{{cite news|last=Wrobel|first=Sharon|url=https://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-News/012Smile-closes-Bezeq-deal|title=012.Smile closes Bezeq deal|date=12 February 2010|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|access-date=7 March 2020|quote=As the largest telecommunication operator in Israel, Bezeq provides wired and wireless telephone and other communications services to consumer and business subscribers throughout Israel.}}</ref> it has had competition from the sole cable provider in the country (since September 2006), [[Hot (Israeli company)|Hot]], which offers a cables based telephone and internet access services as of 2005, and with [[012 Smile]] and more recently 013 netvision and [[Partner Communications Company|Orange]].

===Privatization===
On 9 May 2005, Israel's Government Companies Authority, headed by [[Eyal Gabbai]] privatized Bezeq when 30% of its shares were sold by the state to the [[Apax Partners|Apax]]-[[Saban Capital Group|Saban]]-Arkin investment group for $972 million.<ref>{{cite web |last=Horesh |first=Hadar |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/574335.html |title=Apax-Saban-Arkin group big winners of Bezeq tender - Haaretz Daily Newspaper &#124; Israel News |publisher=Haaretz.com |access-date=9 December 2011 |archive-date=5 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405155301/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/574335.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>


In April 2010, the controlling interest in Bezeq, held by the Apax-Saban-Arkin group, was sold to [[B Communications]], a subsidiary of [[Shaul Elovitch]]'s [[Eurocom Group]], for $1.75 billion.<ref>{{cite news|title=B Communications Closes Acquisition Of Controlling Interest In Bezeq|url=http://www.rttnews.com/content/BreakingNews.aspx?Id=1268972|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911022302/http://www.rttnews.com/content/BreakingNews.aspx?Id=1268972|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 September 2012|access-date=15 November 2011|newspaper=RTTNews|date=14 April 2010}}</ref>

In late 2017, bank filed a petition against Elovitch to break up Eurocom Group to pay back loans totaling $275 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-20/israeli-banks-take-telecoms-tycoon-elovitch-to-bankruptcy-court|title=Israeli Banks Take Telecoms Tycoon Elovitch to Bankruptcy Court|last=Arnold|first=Michael|date=20 December 2017|website=Bloomberg}}</ref>  This would directly impact the 10% shareholding in Bezeq, including Elovitch's 26% controlling stake. [[Meir Shamir]] has expressed interest in buying a controlling stake, effectively cancelling the debt to the banks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-an-opportunity-to-break-up-bezeq-1001216451|title=An opportunity to break up Bezeq|last=Tsipori|first=Eli|date=21 December 2017|website=Globes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/israeli-tycoon-elovitch-at-risk-of-losing-bezeq-1.5629252|title=Israeli Tycoon Moves Closer to Losing His Business Empire as Banks Seek Wind-up Order Against Eurocom|last=Gueta|first=Jasmin|date=21 December 2017|website=Haaretz}}</ref>   Two other investors have also expressed interest in purchasing a stake in Bezeq, including Argentine investor Eduardo Elsztain and Elliott Management, who announced they had recently purchased a 4,8% stake.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/three-way-battle-suddenly-erupts-for-control-of-bezeq-1.5742365|title=Three-way Battle Suddenly Erupts for Control of Israel's Bezeq|last=Appelberg|first=Shelly|date=17 January 2018|website=Haaretz|access-date=17 January 2018}}</ref>

===Police investigation and graft probe===

In 2018 the company announced that company CEO Stella Handler would be resigning her position. She is one of several Bezeq employees under investigation by the [[Israel Securities Authority]] and the [[Israel Police]] regarding Bezeq's purchase of Yes shares and allegations of improper dealings with the [[Ministry of Communications (Israel)|Israeli Ministry of Communication]].<ref>{{Cite news| title = Stella Handler to resign from Bezeq - Globes English| work = Globes| date = 19 March 2018| access-date = 2018-03-20| url = http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-handler-resigning-from-bezeq-1001228277}}</ref> Also in 2018, board members [[Shaul Elovitch]], Or Elovitch and Orna Elovitch resigned as a result of [[Case 4000]], an ongoing corruption investigation involving the former Prime Minister of Israel [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{Cite news| last1 = Rochvarger| first1 = Michael| last2 = Ziv| first2 = Amitai| title = Shaul Elovitch and Relations Step Down From Embattled Bezeq Board| work = Haaretz| access-date = 2018-03-20| date = 2018-02-26| url = https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/shaul-elovitch-and-relations-step-down-from-embattled-bezeq-board-1.5848593}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last = staff| first = T. O. I.| title = Top officials, executives revealed as arrested suspects in Bezeq graft probe| website = [[The Times of Israel]]| access-date = 2018-03-20| url = https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-officials-executives-revealed-as-suspects-in-bezeq-graft-investigation/}}</ref>

===Involvement in Israeli settlements===
{{See also|List of companies operating in West Bank settlements}}
In October 2017, Danish pension firm [[Sampension]] banned investment in Bezeq alongside three other companies operating in [[illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank]], including two Israeli banks, [[Bank Hapoalim]] and [[Bank Leumi]], and German firm [[Heidelberg Cement]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/danish-pension-fund-bans-four-firms-over-west-bank-settlement-activity-507315 |title=Danish pension fund bans four firms over West Bank settlement activity |publisher=Jerusalem Post}}</ref>

On 12 February 2020, the [[United Nations]] published a [[List of companies operating in West Bank settlements|database]] of 112 companies helping to further [[Israeli settlement]] activity in the [[West Bank]], including [[East Jerusalem]], as well as in the occupied [[Golan Heights]].<ref name=unlist_ohchr>{{cite news|date=12 February 2020|title=UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory|url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25542|work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]]|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> These settlements are considered [[International law and Israeli settlements|illegal under international law]].<ref name=unsc2334>{{cite news|date=23 December 2016|title=UN Security Council Resolution 2334, 2016 (S/RES/2334(2016))|url=https://undocs.org/S/RES/2334(2016)|work=[[United Nations Security Council]]|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> Bezeq was listed on the database on account of its "provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements" and "the use of natural resources, in particular water and land, for business
purposes" in these occupied territories.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/database-all-business-enterprises-involved-certain-activities|title=Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71)|date=12 Feb 2020|publisher=UN OCHA|access-date=2021-09-12}}</ref>

On 5 July 2021, [[Norway]]'s largest pension fund [[Kommunal Landspensjonskasse|KLP]] said it would divest from Bezeq together with 15 other business entities implicated in the UN report for their links to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/nordic-fund-klp-excludes-16-companies-over-links-israeli-settlements-west-bank-2021-07-05/|title=Nordic fund KLP excludes 16 companies over links to Israeli settlements in West Bank|first1=Gwladys|last1=Fouche|first2=Simon|last2=Jessop|date=5 July 2021|publisher=Reuters|access-date=2021-09-13}}</ref>

===Parent company===
B Communications, founded in 1999 as 012 Smile.Communications, is a publicly traded company. It currently functions as a holding company of Bezeq and is headquartered in [[Ramat Gan]], [[Israel]]. Its shares are traded on the [[NASDAQ|NASDAQ Global Select Market]] and on the [[Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]]. B Communications is controlled by Searchlight II BZQ L.P  (60%) and TNR investments Ltd (11%).<ref>{{cite news|last=Wrobel|first=Sharon|title=012.Smile closes Bezeq deal|url=https://www.jpost.com/Business/BusinessNews/Article.aspx?id=168535|access-date=17 November 2011|newspaper=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=12 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=012 Smile signs financing deal for Bezeq purchase|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3847947,00.html|access-date=17 November 2011|newspaper=[[Ynetnews]]|date=13 February 2010|agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Communications in Israel]]
*[[Economy of Israel]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}[https://ir.bezeq.co.il/news-releases/news-release-details/nir-david-appointed-ceo-bezeq/ Nir David appointed CEO of Bezeq]{{Eurocom Group}}
{{Major telecommunications companies}}
{{TA 25 companies}}

[[Category:1984 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Companies based in Tel Aviv]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Internet service providers of Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli brands]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies of Israel]]
[[Category:Formerly government-owned companies of Israel]]
[[Category:Holding companies established in 1999]]
[[Category:Companies in the TA-35 Index]]
[[Category:Apax Partners companies]]