Trafficking in women could threaten U.S. aid
By Joseph Algazy, 07/13/2001
Ha'aretz Correspondent and Agencies
If the Israeli government does not take significant steps to halt
trafficking in women, it will face U.S. sanctions. "Israel does not
yet meet the minimum standards for combating trafficking in persons,
and has not yet made significant efforts to combat the problem," the
State Department said in a scalding report on human trafficking in
2001 issued last night.
The report cites Israel as "a destination country for women from
Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, and some
countries in Asia." It includes Israel in a "Third Tier" list of 23
countries where human trafficking is endemic, but does note that
Israel "has begun to take steps" to combat the trade - mainly in women
for prostitution.
The countries named are Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Greece, Indonesia, Israel,
Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Korea, Sudan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and
Yugoslavia.
The report was prepared under American legislation approved in October
that calls for imposing economic sanctions in 2003 against countries
that fail to act against traffickers or protect their victims. If the
government does not take significant steps to end the human trade,
Israel will have to face the sanctions.
Trafficking as a problem has reached "staggering" proportions around
the globe, says the report. Research "clearly demonstrates that most
governments are taking steps to curb this horrific practice ... of
trafficked victims being subjected to threats against their person and
family, violence, horrific living conditions and dangerous work
places."
The "root causes," says the report, "are greed, moral turpitude,
economics, political instability and transitional and social factors."
The report says the Israeli government "recognizes that trafficking in
persons is a problem, but devotes limited resources to combating it."
NGOs and some concerned state officials have strongly criticized the
government for failing to take vigorous action against trafficking,
especially given the sometimes violent practices of the traffickers
and the significant numbers of women who are ferried into the country.
"In June 2000, the Knesset amended a 1997 prostitution law to prohibit
the buying or selling of persons, or forcing a person to leave their
country of residence to engage in prostitution. The penalties for rape
and violation of the 1997 prostitution law require close to a doubling
of sentences if the victim is a minor.
"The government has convicted one trafficker under the new
legislation," the report comments laconically. The State Department
says the government "has provided training to immigration officials at
Ben Gurion airport," however "it has not formally begun cooperation
with other governments on trafficking cases," but did work with
Ukrainian officials on one case.
"The government has not conducted anti-trafficking information
campaigns or other efforts aimed at prevention. Little protection is
provided to trafficked persons," the report says. "Victims of
trafficking are detained, jailed in a special women's prison separate
from other female prisoners, and deported. Victims who are willing to
testify against traffickers may be granted relief from immediate
deportation, but the government does not actively encourage victims to
raise charges against traffickers.
The report continues: "Israeli NGOs have encouraged victims to take
legal action. Some victims have accused individual police officers of
complicity with brothel owners and traffickers. The government
provides limited funding to NGOs for assistance to victims."
Israeli law enforcement officials estimate that 85 percent of the
prostitutes in the country are illegal aliens smuggled into Israel via
Sinai. They say present laws do little to protect the women and enable
the pimps and slave traders to operate with relative impunity.
A report under preparation by a committee including police and
prosecutors is nearing completion and is expected to include
recommendations for a separate hostel for prostitutes escaping the
clutches of slave traders, protection for the prostitutes when they
testify against pimps, and a legal defense mechanism that eliminates a
relatively common occurrence of the pimps hiring lawyers for the
women.
