This report is the fifth annual report done by Machon Toda`a (Awareness Center), an Israeli NGO representing the International Abolitionist Federation, on trafficking in women and prostitution in Israel. This report is the result of continuous research of Machon Toda`a - Awareness Center with the assistance of other Israeli NGOs, independant citizens as well as Ministries of the Knesset (see list in page 2 of this report).

Legally speaking, the State of Israel can be considered as an abolitionist country that signed and ratified the UN Convention of December the 2^nd, 1949. Until 2001 in fact, the State of Israel was leading a policy of laissez-faire that drove to a kind of reglementarism. Since then a considerable change of attitude of the authorities towards the phenomenon of Trafficking in women has occurred. Unfortunately nothing has changed since 2004 regarding the "sex industry" and prostitution per se is still not perceived as a problem by the authorities as well as by most of the NGOs. This situation is also reflected by the attitude of the media. The tendency is to see trafficking in women as a serious crime that needs to be eradicated whereas prostitution, mainly local, is still considered as a victimless crime. Although the penal law has declared war against those who exploit the prostituted persons, in reality it turns out that the prostituted persons are victims not only of their procurers but also of the state. Local and foreign persons in prostitution, which according to the letter of the law are victims and should be defended from exploitation, as noted by the thourogh and brilliant work of Itai Frost, were and in most of the cases still are treated as a non-existent voiceless entity. (See chapter 2)

During November and December 2002 two important reports were issued by Israeli decision makers. During November 2002 the "Inter-ministerial committee to study and combat the trafficking in women" headed by Super-attendant Avi Davidovitch issued a report that includes several proposals regarding how to tackle the phenomenon. Unfortunately these proposals are still not fully implemented (see Chapter 3). During December 2002 the Parliamentary investigation Committee, headed by MK Zehava Galon from the Merez party has issued an interim report that provides an operative proposal based on the legislative issue. Despite of the fact that the report's proposals were not fully implemented, we can perceive that the authorities in charge of the implementation of the proposals have finally taken the right direction and are developing a coherent strategy to bring an end to the laissez-faire era. (Main points of the reports were developed in Chapter 5 of the 2003 report - Measures taken by National and Local Authorities). During Mars 2005 the Parliamentary Investigation Committee, headed by MK Zehava Galon has issued an extensive final report summarizing 4 years of work (2000-2004). It stated that during the 4 year period of the committee work a progress in the activity of the relevant authorities that combat the phenomenon of trafficking in persons but there are still many steps that the authorities should take (see Summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the final report in chapter 4).

http://www.knesset.gov.il/committees/eng/docs/vaadat_chakira_shahar_eng.htm

These reports mirror the fact that public opinion regarding Trafficking in Women for prostitution purposes is shifting to perceive this phenomenon as a form of slavery. Nevertheless, the abolitionist philosophy is still largely unknown. When police reports in 2004 show that trafficking in women into Israel has diminished they mean the number of foreign women trafficked into Israel during 2004 has diminished. The decline in the number of women trafficked into Israel is due to several steps taken by the police:

• A change in the police' enforcement policy of in the first half of 2004.
  
  
• Crack down of 29 cases related to trafficking and prostitution.
  
  
• The incline in arrests created a panic and some of the big criminals escaped abroad because they feared an arrest.
  
  

However the new law proposal to legalize prostitution in private apartments is still pending and the newly introduced law to close down places is enforced by the authorities who are lacking basic understanding of the issue (see chapter 3). Nevertheless, during the last four years a huge progress has been made to adopt the recommendations of the UN convention regarding trafficking in persons, especially in women and children.

Unfortunately, although there is still a lot of work to be done and many of the recommendations are still on paper, the Knesset decided to close down the committee. To compensate for this drastic move the Knesset consented to leave a place for the committee to continue its work as a sub committee of the 'Committee of Bikoret Hamedina'. MK Zehava Galon is still heading this committee but the fact that the investigative committee is no longer working as such might hinder the force and execution of the recommendations. ( see chapter 4)

Among the NGOs that are promoting the abolitionist agenda are Isha Le`Isha (a feminist center in Haifa), Kol Ha-Isha (a feminist Center in Jerusalem), The Israeli Women Network as well as other small organizations and individuals. Machon Toda'a report will focus on the actual situation of the sex industry in Israel (prostitution and pornography) and the attitude of the authorities towards it.

Machon Toda'a - Awareness Center is representing the abolitionist philosophy in Israel and is creating a network of NGOs to propagate this philosophy in the country. The organization is the official representative of the International Abolitionist Federation in Israel. At the moment, we are establishing a support shelter to help women out of life in prositution.

Isha Le`Isha (Feminist center Haifa) is a non-profit NGO established back in the 80`s. It is initiating projects regarding the victims of trafficking in human beings in the north of Israel.

Kol Ha-Isha is the only grassroots non-profit NGO in Jerusalem dedicated to developing and promoting a feminist model of social change, established in 1994. The organization is currently promoting the idea that prostitution is in itself a violence against women and is promoting public awareness in Jerusalem.

Bemaagalei Zedek an NGO which was founded by several young social activists in Jerusalem which promotes a social agenda. They stress the fact that Israel is still a country where trafficking exists and not much is done to raise awareness that prostitution is violence and should be deaslt with. They call to open a public discussion in the religious community how to eradicate this ancient modern slavery.

The Israel Women`s Network (IWN) is Israel's foremost advocacy group for women's rights. IWN is a unique, non-partisan organization of women who are united in their determination to improve the status of women in Israel, despite differing political opinions, religious outlooks and ethnic origins. Established as a non-profit voluntary body in 1984 by a group of women professionals, IWN seeks to change the social context and norms, which currently prevent women from assuming their rightful place as equal partners in a just and democratic society.

NGOs that are promoting only the fight against Trafficking in Women:

The Hotline for Migrant Workers is a non-partisan, non-profit organization established in August 1998, whose purpose is to protect the rights of migrant workers and of victims of traffcking in women in Israel. The Hotline is an NGO that has a direct contact with the victims of trafficking in human beings. It provides them with legal aid and representation. This year the Hotline for Migrant Workers issued a report on the "sex buyers" but the report is focused only on the buyers of VOT ( Victimes of Trafficking).

Atzum - Justice works is an NGO whose purpose is to empower social justice projects to assist those severely disadvantaged by inadequate access to Israeli public protection or private concern. The Task Force on Human Trafficking is an a-political non-denominational NGO dedicated to addressing the growing and alarming problem of human trafficking in Israel. The Task Force is the result of a partnership between ATZUM Justice Works and the law firm of Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar.

The Task Force works to address this problem on a national level, working with government offices and private citizens to find systemic solutions to this atrocious violation of basic human rights. The Task Force functions on three levels, (1) grassroots activism/public awareness (2) lobbying/legislative reform and (3) advocacy work.

The Israeli Coalition against Trafficking in Persons ( see details in chapter 5)

NGOs that are trying to promote only the fight against the prostitution of minors:

ELEM is a non-profit organization established in 1983 and is specialized assisting minors in distress.