We would like to draw the attention to the fact that Israel signed the Protocol to prevent suppress and punish the trafficking in persons especially women and children.
This protocol will be therefore the reference to any legislative measures that will be taken concerning the issue of trafficking in persons.
The fact that the 1994 directives of the Public Prosecution were changed in the light of recent awareness is promising a better handling of the situation. A recommendation to close brothels is
still necessary. This recommendation should be changed and all brothels should be closed as per
the understanding of the spirit of the criminal law of 1977.
We call upon the State of Israel to implement the following recommendations stated in the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/48 and in the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery - Sub-Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/14:
Traffic in women and girls
Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/48
The Commission on Human Rights,
6. Urges Governments to take appropriate measures to address the root factors, including external
factors, that encourage trafficking in women and children, in particular girls, for prostitution
and other forms of commercialized sex, forced marriages and forced labor, so as to eliminate
trafficking in women, including by strengthening existing legislation with a view to providing
better protection of the rights of women and girls and to punishing perpetrators, through both
criminal and civil measures;
The State of Israel should therefore:
Close brothels and establishments related to organized prostitution.
Implement educational programs based on gender equality.
8. Calls upon Governments to criminalize trafficking in women and children in all its forms
and to condemn and penalize traffickers and intermediaries, while ensuring protection and assistance to the victims of trafficking with full respect for their human rights;
The State of Israel should therefore:
Implement the strengthened laws against traffickers and perpetrators.
Criminalize profiteers such as newspapers, hotels, taxi stations.
Create a shelter for the victims of trafficking.
Grant the victims of trafficking who testify against their perpetrators residence
and work permit for the period of their testimony as well as professional training
in order to prevent them to be dragged back into trafficking.
Grant all the victims of trafficking including those who do not want to testify
indemnities ( financed with the money confiscated from traffickers and perpetrators)
Grant a safe place under the protection of the State and in contact with NGO`s for all
the victims of trafficking till they can choose between testifying or going back to their
countries of origin in an organized way.
Grant all victims of trafficking legal, psychological and medical assistance.
Grant complete confidentiality to the victims of trafficking.
9. Encourages Governments to conclude bilateral, subregional, regional and international agreements to address the problem of trafficking in women and children, in particular girls;
The State of Israel should therefore:
Conclude bilateral agreements with Egypt to address the problem of trafficking through
the Egyptian border even though the Egyptian government stated that since the peace treaty
with Israel they are not allowed to position armed forces on the common border. This problem should be addressed already in the Egyptian seaports and airports without stationing armed
forces on the Israeli border.
Conclude bilateral agreements with the countries of origin to inform women of the risk they encounter before coming to Israel and organize their repatriation with local NGO`s.
14. Calls upon concerned Governments to allocate resources, as appropriate, to provide comprehensive programs designed to heal and rehabilitate into society victims of trafficking, including through job training, legal assistance and health care and by taking measures to cooperate with non-governmental organizations to provide for the social, medical and psychological care of the victims;
The State of Israel should therefore:
Allocate resources and take measures to cooperate with non-governmental organizations
to provide the necessary social, medical and psychological care of the victims.
Report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
Sub-Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/14
The Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights,
I 4.. Calls upon Governments to provide protection and assistance to victims that is
based on humanitarian considerations and is not contingent on their cooperation with the
prosecution of their exploiters, as articulated in articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;
The State of Israel should therefore:
Stop to differentiate between victims of trafficking who agree to testify and those
who do not.
Stop to try to find out whether trafficked women are there because of their "voluntary"
consent or not.
Made in Tel Aviv, Israel on the 31st of March 2002
