This report is the second annual report done by Israeli NGOs on trafficking in women and prostitution in Israel. This report is the result of continuous collaboration between Machon Toda`a- Awareness Center and The Hotline for Migrant Workers but also data was collected by
Awareness Center from other NGO`s. (see list of NGO`s 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 2nd, 1949. Until recently in fact, the State of Israel was leading a policy of laissez-faire that drives to a kind of reglementarism.
More and more NGOs are challenging this policy. The abolitionist philosophy, though still largely unknown, has been adopted this year by some members of Parliament. This last year, huge progress has been made to adopt the recommendations of the UN convention regarding trafficking in persons, especially women and children but there is still work to be done.
Among the NGOs that are challenging the official policy are the Hotline for Migrant Workers,
Isha Le`Isha (a feminist center in Haifa), Kol HaIsha (a feminist Center in Jerusalem), A self help
group of prostituted and former prostituted women, ELEM (an NGO handling prostitution of minors) and
Machon Toda'a - Awareness Center.
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 the only NGO that has a direct contact with the victims of
trafficking in human beings and that is having a legal action to support them.
Isha Le`Isha (Feminist center Haifa) is a non-profit organization 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 organization 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.
ELEM is a non profit organization established in 1983 and is specialized assisting minors in distress.
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.
