FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For
December 13, 2007
Commission
File Number: 001-33271
CELLCOM
ISRAEL LTD.
10
Hagavish Street
Netanya,
Israel 42140
________________________________________________
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F
__X__ Form 40-F
_____
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained
in
this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes _____ No
__X__
If
“Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): Not Applicable
CELLCOM
ISRAEL LTD. ANNOUNCES APPLICATION OF CURRENT NATIONAL ZONING PLAN 36 BEING
QUESTIONED
Netanya,
Israel – December
13, 2007 –
Cellcom
Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL)
(the "Company"), announced that recently, several local planning and building
authorities have been questioning the ability of Israeli cellular operators
to
receive building permits, in reliance on the current National Zoning Plan 36
(aimed at regulating the construction of cell sites throughout Israel) (the
“Plan”), for cell sites operating in frequencies not specifically detailed in
the frequencies charts attached to the Plan, and in a number of cases, have
refused to provide a building permit for new such cell sites. That new approach
is based on an argument that the Plan does not apply to such cell sites.
According to that argument, building permits for such cell sites should be
sought through other procedures (which are longer and cumbersome), such as
extraordinary usage request or existing local specific zoning
plans.
Since
June
2002, following the approval of the Plan, building permits for the Company's
cell sites (where required) have been issued in reliance on the Plan. Most
of
the Company’s cell sites and many cell sites operated by other operators,
operate in frequencies not specifically detailed in the Plan.
The
Company believes that the Plan applies to all cell sites, whether or not they
operate in specific frequencies, consistent with practice since 2002 and intends
to defend its position vigorously. However, the Company is unable to assess
the
chances of success of the above argument.
In
addition, as previously disclosed in the Company’s reports, an amendment to the
Plan is being prepared. The current proposal draft covers all new cell sites
requiring a building permit, independently of the frequencies in which they
operate. The Company cannot predict what the final proposed plan will
provide
For
additional details see our immediate report on Form 6-K from September 23,
2007
under “Risk Factors – Risks related to our business – We may not be able to
obtain permits to construct cell sites” and under our annual report for 2006 on
form 20-F under “Item 4. Information on the Company – B. Business Overview –
Government Regulations – Permits for Cell Site Construction”.
About
Cellcom Israel
Cellcom
Israel Ltd., established in 1994, is the leading Israeli cellular provider;
Cellcom Israel provides its 3 million subscribers with a broad range of value
added services including cellular and landline telephony, roaming services
for
tourists in Israel and for its subscribers abroad and additional services in
the
areas of music, video, mobile office etc., based on Cellcom Israel's
technologically advanced infrastructure. The Company operates an HSDPA 3.5
Generation network enabling the fastest high speed content transmission
available in the world, in addition to GSM/GPRS/EDGE and TDMA networks. Cellcom
Israel offers Israel's broadest and largest customer service infrastructure
including telephone customer service centers, retail stores, and service and
sale centers, distributed nationwide. Through its broad customer service network
Cellcom Israel offers its customers technical support, account information,
direct to the door parcel services, internet and fax services, dedicated centers
for the hearing impaired, etc. In April 2006 Cellcom Israel, through Cellcom
Fixed Line Communications L.P., a limited partnership wholly-owned by Cellcom
Israel, became the first cellular operator to be granted a special general
license for the provision of landline telephone communication services in
Israel, in addition to data communication services. Cellcom Israel's shares
are
traded both on the New York Stock Exchange (CEL) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
(CEL).
For
additional information please visit the Company's website
http://investors.ircellcom.co.il
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Company
Contact
Shiri
Israeli
Investor
Relations Coordinator
investors@cellcom.co.il
Tel:
+972 52 998 9755
|
Investor
Relations Contact
Ehud
Helft / Ed Job
CCGK
Investor Relations
ehud@gkir.com
/
ed.job@ccgir.com
Tel:
(US) 1 866 704 6710 / 1 646 213
1914
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Signatures
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
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By:
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/s/ Liat
Menahemi Stadler
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