Israel Postal Company (Hebrew: דואר ישראל, Do'ar Yisrael), formerly the Israel Postal Authority, is a government-owned corporation that handles postal services in Israel.
The Israel Postal Company has 7,000 employees, among them 1,650 mail delivery staff and 2,000 postal clerks manning 700 post office branches around the country. It has a network of 4,262 mail boxes and 1,000 mail trucks. Some 2.5 million postal items are sorted every day. [1]
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The Israel Postal Company has its roots in the postal system from the British Mandate period (1920-1948). In 1948, after the establishment of the State of Israel, the Ministry of Transportation was placed in charge of postal services. In 1951, the Ministry of Postal Services was established, which later became the Ministry of Communications. In keeping with the British model, the service included delivery of letters, parcels, and telegrams, as well as telephone services. The Israeli Postal Bank opened in 1951.[2]
In 1986, the Israel Postal Authority was created. In 2002, in the wake of operating losses, political scandals and new developments in the sphere of communications, it was decided that major reforms were needed. A new government company, the Israel Postal Company Ltd., was founded and went into operation in March 2006.[2]
Postal services in Israel have historically operated at a loss. In 2002, the operating deficit was NIS 150 million; in 2003, it was NIS 200 million. Since 2007, the financial situation has improved, and the company is now making a small profit.[2]
In April 1948, the British discontinued all postal services. On Friday, May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence. On Sunday morning, less than 48 hours later, the new state issued its first stamps. There was virtually no paper for printing stamps and no appropriate printing presses or perforating machines. Even the name of the country had not yet been finalized. Nevertheless, Doar Ivri ("Hebrew post") stamps appeared immediately after the declaration of independence, and went on sale at postal branches throughout the country.[3]
Every year, the Israel Postal Company receives thousands of letters from all over the world addressed to God. Rather than consign them to bins of undeliverable mail, the letters are collected at the Givat Shaul central mail facility. Once a year, they are taken to the Old City and placed between the stones of the Western Wall in a festive ceremony.[4] The post office also receives letters addressed to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and King David, but only those addressed to God are sent to the Western Wall.[5]
Service to Gaza was refused in August 2010 and Israel Post notified international postal authorities.[6]
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