Modern-day slaves | JPost | Israel News

"TAG International works to combat human trafficking and forced labor in Asia, and looks to Israeli
organizations for guidance."

To read, go to:
Modern-day slaves | JPost | Israel News

Germans take up Sinai trafficking – The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery - CNN.com Blogs

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/21/germans-take-up-sinai-trafficking/

Source:  CNN.com Blogs:

February 21st, 2013

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2013/02/20/pkg-pleitgen-germany-mp-sinai.cnn

Germany's parliament has taken on debating human trafficking in Sinai in part due to CNN reporting from the region.

German MP Annette Groth says it is time for Berlin to use its economic power to pressure Egyptian authorities.

Human rights groups estimate that thousands of African migrants have perished trying to make it to Israel via the Sinai.

In two documentaries over two years CNN's Fred Pleitgen visited the Sinai to expose the traffickers and grim evidence of organ harvesting.

'Death in The Desert' - which was first published online in November 2011 and broadcast on CNN International on November 5, showed evidence that African refugees, mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, were being held captive by Bedouin human traffickers in Sinai, who try to extort massive sums of money from the refugees’ families for their release.

Shortly after the documentary aired, hundreds of African refugees were released from captivity in the Sinai Peninsula and allowed to cross from Egypt into Israel.

In 2012 'Stand in the Sinai' showed how different groups - including Bedouins, aid workers and former refugees - were fighting the traffickers.

Post by:CNN producer, Fred Pleitgen

Related articles

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ISRAEL TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EFFIE AWARDS WITH HUGE WIN

Colleagues,

Elie Klein of Finn Partners Israel for ATZUMl shares an email ...

"ATZUM (www.ATZUM.org) is happy to announce that its collaborator, Y&R Israel, was awarded the 2012 Effie Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Advertising for developing the ‘Women To Go’ awareness campaign for the Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT), a project of ATZUM and the law firm Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar.

The ongoing campaign, which seeks to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and prostitution in Israel by exposing these corruptions of human dignity in a public space, features models posing in a storefront as “merchandise” complete with price tags and product information.  Volunteers stand outside to inform startled passersby how they can participate in the campaign against sex trafficking.

Because the Effie Awards are the top prize in the advertising industry, this is a huge win for ATZUM and its human trafficking awareness efforts."

And here is the full press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ISRAEL TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EFFIE AWARDS WITH HUGE WIN

Y&R ISRAEL TAKES HOME 2012 NON-PROFIT ADVERTISING TROPHY FOR ATZUM’S “WOMEN TO GO” CAMPAIGN

 

(JERUSALEM, Israel – November 18, 2012) ATZUM(www.ATZUM.org) announced today that collaborator Y&R Israel was awarded the 2012 Effie Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Advertising earlier this month for developing the ‘Women To Go’awareness campaign for the Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT), a project of ATZUM and the law firm Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar.

The ongoing campaign, which seeks to raise public awareness about sex trafficking and prostitution in Israel by exposing these corruptions of human dignity in a public space, features models posing in a storefront as “merchandise” complete with price tags and product information.  Volunteers stand outside to inform startled passersby how they can participate in the campaign against sex trafficking.

The first ‘Women To Go’ campaign in Tel Aviv in October 2010garnered award-winning, extensive international media coverage and helped raise awareness about proposed Israeli legislation to criminalize the act of purchasing sexual services.

"Receiving an international Effie Award – the top prize in the advertising industry – for this truly unique collaboration is a tremendous achievement for Y&R Israel and the entire TFHT team," said Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founding Executive Director of ATZUM. 

"It is essential that we continue to run the ‘Women To Go’ campaign internationally and construct new awareness initiatives that will make it perfectly clear that by tolerating the sale of a woman’s body, society has reduced women to a mere commodity."

It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 persons forced into prostitution in Israel, including 5,000 minors.  Israel has been a destination country for more than 25,000 victims of human trafficking since the 1990s.  Most of Israel's prostituted women and sex slaves  experience appreciable violence at the hands of their clients, procurers and traffickers.  These clients come from every segment of society and every ethnic, religious and social-economic stratum.

"The first step in fostering change is creating awareness, and the ‘Women To Go’ campaign is a highly effective method to clearly illustrate the horrors of prostitution – what it means for the oppressed and what it says about the world in which we live," said Kayla Zecher, the Projects Coordinator for TFHT. “We cannot allow human slavery and prostitution to remain shrouded in mystery.  We must shine a spotlight on these egregious violations of human rights and encourage dialogue and legislation that will end the evil.”

The Effie Awards recognize the most effective international advertising efforts each year, including any and all forms of marketing communication that contribute to a brand’s success. Since 1968, winning an Effie has become a globally acknowledged mark of achievement.

In 2003, ATZUM joined forces with Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar (www.knklaw.com) and established the TFHT to help Israel put an end to human trafficking within its borders.  TFHT works tirelessly to engage and educate the public and government agencies to confront and eradicate modern slavery in Israel, and lobbies for reform in the areas of prevention, border closure, protection of escaped women, and the prosecution of traffickers and pimps.

#   #   #

ATZUM – Justice Works (www.ATZUM.org) was established in 2002 to seek remedy for injustices in Israeli society and encourage individuals to become social activists and agents of change. ATZUM’s projects focus on engaging the public and government agencies to combat and eradicate human trafficking in Israel; distributing funds and providing educational resources to families of survivors of terror attacks in Israel; meeting basic needs and providing geriatric care for Righteous Among the Nations who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust and now reside in Israel; and empowering Ethiopian youth to bridge the generation gap in Israel's Ethiopian community.

By drastically reducing administrative and general overhead costs, ATZUM ensures that every dollar donated significantly benefits their social action initiatives in Israel.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Elie Klein

Finn Partners Israel for ATZUM

Cell: + 972-54-467-6967

Office: + 972-2-589-2013

Email: elie@finnpartners.co.il

Human Trafficking Devastating The Sinai - Analysis Eurasia Review

http://www.eurasiareview.com/29092012-human-trafficking-devastating-the-sinai-analysis/

Source: Analysis Eurasia Review

By: IDN

September 29, 2012
By Mirjam van Reisen

A new report titled ‘Human Trafficking in the Sinai. Refugees between Life and Death’ sheds new light on the devastation caused by the trafficking in the Sinai. Hostages are killed unless they collect exorbitant ransoms from relatives, which can go up to USD 35,000 or even more. These ransoms are collected from family members in home countries and from relatives in the diaspora.

Sinai Peninsula

A network of financial laundering supports the ransom collection. The report is authored by this writer, Meron Estefanos and Dr Conny Rijken, from Tilburg University and European External Policy Advisors (EEPA).

The victims endure unspeakable torture, and increasingly women and children are included, tortured and raped. Hostages are repeatedly electrocuted, hanged upside down, beaten with iron rods and burnt with dripping plastic. Pregnant women are tortured and the interviews even identify beating of a one year old baby. Family members held in captivity are made to choose who will live, if not sufficient ransom can be collected to release both. Many hostages die in captivity due to the cruelty endured.

Once ransoms have been paid, there is no certainty that victims are released. They are often sold on to other traffickers. If they are released they are often too weak to make it to a safe place, being undernourished and weakened by the torture endured. Once released there is the danger of being shot by Egyptian police.

The places where hostages are held are in walking distance from the Israeli border, which has recently been fenced and the Israeli military have orders to not allow the released hostages through. Without food and water many collapse. NGOs are not permitted to visit.

Deported Back

Those hostages that make it to safety either in Israel or in Cairo are detained in detention centres from where they are deported back to their country of origin. For most hostages this is Eritrea. In this country the hostages are in danger of being imprisoned. Most refugees escape the national service which is in place for adults and therefore cannot safely return.

Speaking against the Eritrean regime is dangerous and even those who are outside of the country endanger family members if they do not speak openly in support of the regime. There are strong indications that officials themselves are involved in selection for trafficking and Eritreans are involved in the organisation of the human trafficking and the collection of the ransoms.

During a hearing in the European Parliament on September 26, 2012 in Brussels activists and humanitarian workers expressed solidarity with the hostages and called on authorities to fulfil obligations to prevent the trafficking and protect the victims. For Eritreans push-back to their country of origin must be stopped given the political repression in this country. This push-back should be stopped from involved countries such as Egypt, Italy, Libya and Israel, they said.

The European Commission was called upon to start infringement procedures against Italy to stop push-back of Eritreans. More humanitarian and medical facilities were urged, especially also urgent access to gynaecological services for the women. Europol was asked to begin a phenomenon report.

The report asks the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR to organise the protection of the refugees it takes responsibility for, so that they are secure in the camps and do not risk kidnapping. The new Government of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was called upon to take control over the lawless Sinai and make sure that police are targeting the traffickers instead of shooting the victims from the trafficking.

In a recent documentary CNN suggests that trafficking in the Sinai is decreasing but the new report disputes this. The figures do not show a decrease in numbers. However the number of women and children in captivity seems to be increasing. Also the number of people that have disappeared is increasing.

The report is based on 104 recorded interviews with people in captivity. The hostages have mobile phones with pay and go carts to phone relatives to collect the ransom. Through these direct interviews, the report voices the devastation of the hostages and their plea to make an end the torture houses in the Sinai.

Mirjam van Reisen is professor International Social Responsibility at the Tilburg University, founding director of the Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA) in Brussels and member of the International Commission on Eritrean Refugees (ICER). IDN Viewpoints reflect opinions of respective writers, which are not necessarily shared by the InDepthNews editorial board.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/author/idn/

IDN-InDepthNews offers news analyses and viewpoints on topics that impact the world and its peoples. IDN-InDepthNews serves as flagship of GlobalNewsHub - the media network of the Globalom Media Group and Global Cooperation Council.

Related articles

• Egypt: End Sinai Nightmare for Migrants (hrw.org)
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Israel Improves Human Trafficking Record – Forward.com

http://forward.com/articles/158909/israel-improves-human-trafficking-record/

Crackdown on Prostitution and Forced Labor Bears Fruit

ILAN AZOULAI/HOLY GHETTO FILM

Harsh Life: Prostitutes wait for customers in Tel Aviv’s red light
district, as depicted in the documentary, ‘Holy Ghetto.’ Israel has
 improved its record of dealing with issues related to human trafficking.

By Nathan Guttman

Published July 06, 2012, issue of July 13, 2012.

WASHINGTON — From nailing pimps to cracking down on forced labor, Israel is doing a much better job of preventing so-called human trafficking, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of State.

Trumpeting successes like the convictions of a pimp who sold Eastern European women into sex slavery for $5,000, Israeli officials say they are proud to have made the top tier of an annual report on the issue, put out by the United States.

“We didn’t do this to satisfy the State Department,” said Rachel Gershuni, national anti-trafficking coordinator at Israel’s Ministry of Justice. “We did it because Israel thought it was the right thing to do.”

The upgrade means that, for the first time, the United States regards Israel among the countries actively fighting trafficking of people for prostitution and slavery and taking care of trafficking victims.

It came as a piece of good news about Israel’s treatment of foreigners at a time when headlines are dominated by reports on growing xenophobia and a crackdown against illegal African immigrants.

Still, nongovernmental organizations in Israel that deal with human trafficking criticized the move and said Israel has much more to do.

In its annual report, “Trafficking in Persons,” published June 19, the State Department was full of praise for Israel’s actions. “The Government of Israel fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,” the report states, noting improvements in protection of victims, in prosecution of traffickers and in prevention of human trafficking activity.

The issue has historically been a sore spot. Israel was initially placed in Tier 3 of the three-tier ranking system, which was launched in 2001, putting it alongside other countries that were not responsive at all to the issue. It later climbed to the second tier but in 2006 dropped to the Tier 2 Watch List, which indicates a risk of falling to the third category. Israel later climbed back to a regular Tier 2 status, and the recent report added Israel to the Tier 1 club for the first time.

It is one of 32 states in the world that earned the top grade. Gershuni added that the upgrade should have taken place two years ago, because of the improvement already made at the time in Israel’s treatment of the trafficking problem.

Since the 1990s, Israel has been a hot spot for trafficking in people in two of its harshest forms: prostitution of women, mainly from Eastern Europe, and forced labor of workers coming from a variety of countries and facing modern-day slave-labor conditions.

Women forced into prostitution are often smuggled into Israel by traffickers through the Sinai desert border, then held in subhuman conditions in brothels and raped and sexually abused by their pimps. Few dare to escape, and those who do face the challenge of convincing Israeli authorities that they were victims.

Forced laborers arrive under different circumstances. Most enter Israel voluntarily and legally. Once their work permits expire, employers or labor brokers refuse to return their passports, refuse to pay them or bar them from finding better jobs.

The State Department report lists improvement made in all categories, including law enforcement activity, identification of victims and the furnishing of assistance to those targeted by traffickers.

Israel, according to government figures, has seen a dramatic drop in the number and the severity of prostitution trafficking cases. It also provides victims with shelter, legal aid and temporary worker visas, all exceeding international requirements for treating trafficking victims.

Israeli authorities point to the recent conviction of super-pimp Rami Saban as demonstrating how far Israel has come in dealing with the problem. Saban was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison for 13 cases of forced prostitution. He smuggled women from the Former Soviet Union through Egypt into Israel and sold them to local brothels for anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000.

In the past, law enforcement and the courts viewed cases dealing with prostitution as vice crimes. They were met with relatively light penalties. But now, Israeli law includes a specific offense of trafficking in humans for prostitutions, and it mandates heavier punishments.

“This gave the bureaucracy a new button to push,” Gershuni said. “It made these crimes a human rights offense.”

Israel also saw progress in two other forms of trafficking. It gained its first conviction in a court case against an Israeli accused of trafficking for the purpose of facilitating organ transplants. It also won a landmark conviction of an Israeli who held a worker from the Philippines in conditions described as “slavery.” The Filipina woman was forced to work seven days a week, was denied free movement and was roomed in poor conditions. Her employers held her passport, thus preventing her from leaving the country.

While all sides active on the issue praise the actions already taken, NGOs providing protection and help to foreigners in Israel think the State Department’s upgrade was too soon and that important work still needs to be done.

“Nothing happened to justify this,” wrote Oded Feller, an attorney from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, in a mass email to activists. He noted recent legislation allowing bondage of caregiving workers to their employers, lack of prevention of forced labor trafficking and maltreatment of asylum seekers who fall prey to criminals in the Sinai desert as problems that still plague the treatment of trafficking victims.

Advocates are particularly concerned about the ongoing crackdown against illegal immigrants, especially Africans. Human rights activists fear that mass deportation and indefinite imprisonment of these immigrants could cast too wide a net, which will indiscriminately harm the trafficking victims entering Israel through Sinai.

Gershuni asserted that her office has made a clear distinction between victims of human trafficking and other foreign nationals entering Israel, saying that the former are victims of criminal offenses and should be treated as such.

“Does the anti-foreigner atmosphere harm the treatment?” she asked. She immediately responded: “It could if you let it. But our goal is not to allow this atmosphere to harm the treatment victims receive.”

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com

Related

• U.S. Upgrades Israel on Human Trafficking List
• Human Trafficking Report Slaps Israel
• Bill Targets Israeli 'Johns'

Strides in Combating Human Trafficking in Israel - Jewish World - News - Israel National News

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/155924#.T7VM-uhSRgg

Source: Israel National News


By Rachel Hirshfeld
 5/17/2012, 4:40 PM

Women's section of bus

Israel news photo: Flash 90

ATZUM, an organization that seeks to combat and resole the social injustices in Israeli society, achieved another victory in the ongoing battle against prostitution and sex trafficking in Israel.

The organization’s Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT) has been highlighting the prevalence of illegal advertisements for sexual services in Israel and the lack of police initiative to prosecute the perpetrators.

As a result of TFHT's lobbying in the Knesset, legislation on the issue, originally passed two years ago, has been strengthened and its intent clarified.

Over the last few months, in order to demonstrate to the Supreme Court the ease with which such ads can still be published in Israel, the TFHT placed false advertisements for sexual services in popular newspapers.

The advertisements included phone numbers that prospective clients could call to schedule an appointment with a sex worker.

Hopeful customers who called the number were greeted by a recording of an actress telling the story of how she had come to work in prostitution. The TFHT monitored how many calls these numbers received, and used them to prove the widespread demand for prostitution in Israel.   

While the Supreme Court ruled that police and newspapers required more time to understand and comply with the law, soon thereafter Israel’s police arrested the owner of Banana, a monthly newspaper that exclusively advertises sexual services and is the country’s largest carrier of such advertisements.

Established in 2002, ATZUM’s programs, in addition to those combating human trafficking, include eradicating modern slavery, providing assistance to families of victims of terror, caring for “Righteous Gentiles” who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust and empowering Ethiopian high school students.

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Ending the scourge of prostitution - JPost - Opinion - Op-Eds

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=257846

Source: JPost - Opinion - Op-Eds

Many are unaware that Israel is classified as a destination and source country for human trafficking, of women in particular.

By ORIT ZUARETZ02/14/2012 22:49

By John L. White / South Florida Sun-Sentinel / MCT

From the day I took up the chairmanship of the Knesset subcommittee on the trafficking in women I have been exposed to a dark, sinister world right here in Israel’s own back yard. Yet this is the same Jewish and democratic Israel that is committed to the values of equality and human rights.

Many of us are unaware that Israel is classified as a destination and source country for human trafficking in general and of women in particular.

Since the 1990s Israel has made considerable headway in its handling of human trafficking and the trade in women. 2006 saw the passage of a law forbidding trafficking in human beings for slavery or prostitution and the prohibition on the organ trade – an offense carrying a 16-year jail sentence.

After a decade of the state taking responsibility for the issue and dealing with it, we can see a decrease in the patterns of women trafficking compared with those of a decade ago.

However, the scourge continues, affecting women trafficked from Eastern Europe, migrant workers and African asylum seekers, the latter of whom undergo a saga of torture and sexual assault en route to Israel through the Sinai.

Another issue is the internal trade or, more simply put, Israeli prostitution – Israeli women pressed into prostitution. The attitude toward prostitution in Israel is for the most part forgiving and understanding, relying on tired clichés such as “prostitution is the world’s oldest profession” or “if we don’t give men a safety valve for letting off steam legally with a prostitute, the number of rape cases will increase.” These are lame, hackneyed excuses completely divorced from reality.

Another myth revolves around the question of choice – something I’ve been hearing a lot of lately – “they choose this way of life,” “they want it,” “they make a lot of money that way.”

To get a first-hand impression, to see and hear from the women themselves, we set out, together with the members of the committee, on tours of south Tel Aviv, Eilat and Saharonim (an illegal migrant detention center).

The reality we witnessed is far removed from the idyllic images of prostitution by choice.

The women we met were young and old, they came from central Israel and from the periphery, each with a life story that led them into prostitution – each story more harrowing than the next. Failures in the education system and the welfare system, which did not protect them from sexual abuse, led them into prostitution. Not a single one of them ever dreamed of becoming a prostitute or call girl.

The main thing characterizing them all was their complete loss of faith in the system, frustration and helplessness when facing the state and the very authorities that are supposed to be there for them.

A bill I initiated, that seeks to punish those who use prostitutes and provide for community counseling, will be presented to the Knesset plenum today for a preliminary reading.

The bill is intended to reduce the scale of prostitution and correct the moral and humanitarian injustice victimizing thousands of women, men and children.

Opponents of the bill cite a variety of reasons for their opposition, but the one undeniable fact is that prostitution is not a voluntary act. Most women get sucked into the world of prostitution while still minors (age 12-14 on average), and most of them (over 90 percent) have suffered sexual or other abuse as children. Research shows that 90% of all women engaging in prostitution are frequently physically assaulted, with 55% of the assaults being perpetrated by the clients.

Most women get robbed and are sexually or otherwise assaulted.

Women engaging in prostitution are 200 times more likely to be violently raped than ordinary women. Most rape is perpetrated by clients.

The clients are the economic fuel keeping the wheels of this scourge turning, enabling its existence. The sex industry in Israel turns over billions of shekels per year, all of which ends up in the coffers of those criminals who exploit women and men, girls and boys.

The worldwide model shows that the suggested legislation will dramatically reduce the scale of the problem.

Its enforcement will put us on a par with other advanced Western countries.

This kind of legislation, which prohibits the commoditization of the bodies of people whose lives have led them into the weakest niche in society, will certainly save many girls and boys from a brutal fate rife with exploitation and violence.

The eyes of many – social organizations, citizens and tens of thousands of women who have been, or are, subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse on a daily basis – are looking to the occupants of the Knesset to take this important moral stand. It is a stand consistent with the values of the State of Israel, as well as the values of all future victims – those we have the power to prevent.

This law is the linchpin of a whole chain of actions intended to bring about social change in all matters concerning prostitution and the trafficking of women in Israel. Government support for such a law is a moral and value statement of the highest kind.

The writer, a member of the Knesset, is the chairman of the sub-committee on the trafficking in women and the author of a bill that assigns criminal responsibility to clients of prostitutes.

PM Netanyahu: The struggle against human trafficking 12-Dec-2011

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israeli+leaders/2011/PM_Netanyahu_human_trafficking_12-Dec-2011.htm

12 Dec 2011

The right to life and freedom are the two most fundamental rights. However, at the beginning of the 21st century in broad sectors of the world, there is no freedom, no equality, no life and no liberty.

	PM Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters archive photo)

PM Netanyahu spoke at the ceremony honoring those who participated in the struggle against human trafficking.

[Translated from Hebrew]

I wish to congratulate this year's honorees, who truly deserve the praise - congratulations to you and your families who help you in your work. You are truly a shining example of devotion to this supreme humane, moral, legal and social mission. I know how much you invest, how productive you are and how hard you try and your work will be recognized, including through the awards given today. They are to show our esteem and to encourage you and others to continue this fight.

Nineteen years ago, the Knesset passed the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. This law was not only directed at men, it was also directed at women. In other words, it was directed at all people, irrespective of religion, race and sex - to realize all rights, first and foremost the right to life and freedom.

These are the two most fundamental rights. However, to our great regret as the President rightly said, in the 21st century, even though there was a tremendous breakthrough in ideas of liberty, freedom and equality in the 17th century and they gathered speed in the 18th century and broke through in the 19th century and should have theoretically been fully realized in the 20th century, here we are at the beginning of the 21st century, and in broad sectors of the world, there is no freedom, no equality, no life and no liberty. These are things that are not obvious.

Perhaps the cruelest phenomenon, the one that shows just how far people are from realizing these ideals, is human trafficking. It is brutal in that it involves taking boys, girls and women from small villages and trafficking in them. Often they are killed along the way, and if they are not killed, they are forced into slavery and prostitution.

I am sorry to say that this is dependent on movement: it is easier to catch them when they are in movement. They are like predators that lie in wait for migrants, and use the migration to pounce on a wandering deer or cub. Movement provides the traffickers with an opportunity, and such movement also takes place in the State of Israel, which serves as a magnet for Africa, among other places. However, first and foremost it draws people from Africa - those same illegal infiltrators that we are dealing with now. One of the side effects of illegal infiltration is an entire industry of trafficking in men, and as I said, in women, that is growing larger. These people have no rights. The victims of human trafficking have no dreams, they have no ambitions, they are at the mercy of heartless and immoral people.

Therefore, we are working to close off the trafficking channel. Yesterday the Government passed an important resolution to complete the fence - this is one method - from Kerem Shalom to Eilat. There are other methods. I want to be clear that erecting the fence, or completing it, will also help block these channels being used for human trafficking, although that is no guarantee of freedom. A fence cannot guarantee freedom, especially not when there is still a long journey on the other side of the fence. However, it is not a guarantee on our side of the fence either because we need to change our attitude not towards human trafficking, but towards women.

In the State of Israel, there are still women who suffer mental and physical violence just because they are women. Many people suffer mental and physical violence, but there is a certain section of the population that harasses women because they are women, and we must fight this vigorously. Anyone who infringes on the rights of women or their freedom, or who works to discriminate against women, works against the principles and ideals of the State of Israel.

The path to realizing the principles of equality and freedom begins at home and certainly continues at school. School can influence the home as well. It continues through legislation and enforcement, and ends in punishing violators, headed by human traffickers. We are acting on all these channels, in all these sectors, but there is still much work to be done, both by voluntary organizations and by citizens who care.

I would like to take this opportunity to raise another subject - not trafficking in women and it is not directly connected to the subject of our discussion. However, the President rightly brought it up because it has recently been the subject of public discourse. I refer to the phenomenon of the exclusion of women in the public sphere. First let me clarify - this is a trend that is limited in scope and does not reflect on the entire population and not even the entire ultra-orthodox population. However, it does exist. I would like to state unequivocally: I strenuously object to the exclusion of women.

It is true that there is a question of public space and private space. By the way, even in the private space, people have basic human rights, but that is a separate question. In the State of Israel, there is no room to exclude anyone, certainly not half the population, men or women. The place of women in the public space must be guaranteed and equal. I think the phenomenon of excluding women not only contradicts the democratic principles we recognize and hold so dear, but it also contradicts Jewish tradition. Jewish tradition always held: "Its ways are ways of pleasantness", and that has been the way of Judaism for generations. It is true that we have a complex society and it demands agreement and sensitivity, but it also demands following the law and ensuring the dignity of women and of people.

I believe our society is strong enough and I believe our democracy is strong. I hear talk of the danger of democracy. That is part of our public discourse, but also of the strength of our democracy. Laws are introduced, laws fall; there is dialogue, there is evolution, there are disagreements and in the end, there is agreement. One agreement must be: our democracy is for every person, Jews and non-Jews, new immigrants and veterans, every citizen - every citizen - every man and every woman. These are our principles and we will maintain them.

Thank you.

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The Hub Q & A: Rahel Gershuni

Source: http://www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/blog/hubQA/the-hub-q-and-a_-rahel-gershuni.html

UN.GIFT works to increase knowledge and awareness of human trafficking bringing together all stakeholders to foster partnerships for joint action against trafficking. The UN.GIFT.HUB provides a platform for global dialogue and is now introducing The Hub Q & A Blog, a UN.GIFT knowledge product to voice the views and perspectives of those working on the frontlines, of this fight against human trafficking.

Sophia Papadimos, UN.GIFT Secretariat, spoke to Ms. Rahel Gershuni in Vienna during the recent UNODC Working Group on the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

Rahel Gershuni is Israel's National Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator. She has served as an advocate in the Israeli Ministry of Justice for over 15 years in various capacities and as National Coordinator, officially since 2006, and in hoc capacity since 2002.  In July of 2006 she was recognized as one of nine heroes acting to end modern day slavery by the U.S. State Department Report on Trafficking in Persons. She has a B.A. in Ancient Studies from Columbia University, an L.L.B. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University.

How do you define human trafficking in your area of work? How do you define it vs. slavery?


We see trafficking as a constellation of offences which objectify the human being. In Israeli law there are a few core crimes which reflect this common value. First, is the trafficking offence which requires a transaction in a human being for a purpose of exploitation; it doesn't require movement and it doesn't require foul means, such as deception.

Then we have a slavery offence, which requires that the suspect act towards a person as if he or she is property which can be done by means of limiting his or her freedom, or dominating him or her.

Another part of the constellation is forced labour.

Then we have abducting for the purpose of trafficking. That is the crime that is exactly analogous to the crime in  the UN Protocol, it requires movement of a person, it requires foul means, it requires purposes of exploitation.

We see all of these as trafficking offences because they reflect common protected values.

In Israel, how do different organizations cooperate amongst each other?


In combating trafficking for prostitution representatives of  government and NGOs have cooperated wonderfully. As far as combating slavery and forced labour, this cooperation is a work in progress. This is a function of  the general reality by which government and NGOs are uneasy bed fellows, but in addition, changes in the structure of various government offices may create confusion which can hamper good cooperation. Since good relations between NGOs and Government, are crucial, we are constantly working to improve them and are planning a one day seminar on this subject in the near future [1].

According to the Ministry of Justice's Trafficking in Persons Report for the State of Israel, between 2009 and 2010 not one victim of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation entered Israel, whereas in the past, police estimated there were 3000 victims per year. Do you think this is because of the 2006 legislation [2] ? Why has Israel seen a decrease?

There are several reasons for this radical decrease in victims. The most important message is that comprehensive anti trafficking measures work. In Israel the most important of these were the following:

First and foremost, the crime was heavily prioritized by the government in the realms of prosecution, protection and prevention. An expression of this may be found in yearly decorations awarded by the government to a government agency, an NGO and an individual who contributed substantially to the fight against trafficking. The ceremony takes place in the President' s House in the presence of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice and the Vice Minister for the Advancement of Women. This sends a message that the highest echelons of government view this subject with utmost importance.

Beyond this formal expression of prioritization - the government took active steps.

In the realm of prosecution, the police created a special unit of Russian speaking policemen who were able to infiltrate the criminal organizations and also work very well with other police in the countries of origin. The State and District Attorney's Offices developed broad interpretation of the crimes and pushed for convictions and heavy sentences; courts meted out severe sentences of incarceration, thus creating a disincentive to commit such crimes.

The comprehensive legislation was also important, as it gave a clear message that trafficking and slavery are severe crimes with a maximal sentence of 16 years of imprisonment. It also placed these crimes in the chapter which deals with crimes violating human freedom, which made a clear break with the view that these are "mere" crimes of prostitution, which may be dealt with lightly, as a vice crime. Once you give law enforcement a new context of trafficking as a human rights offence which violates basic human freedoms, whether it is committed for the purpose of prostitution, slavery, forced labor or organ removal - it allows them to think differently and to view the crime in a far more severe way.

Protection measures were also of the essence. In Israel there is a trinity of rights for victims: shelter (with psycho social and medical services), free legal aid, and work visas. None of these rights is contingent upon the victims' cooperation with law enforcement. Not only do they provide support, assistance and safety, but they also give the women the opportunity to recover some dignity and consider if they are ready to cooperate with police. Thus, these rights assist the women and the cause of enforcement, alike.

Prevention measures were also important, and for example, the Ministry of Interior tightened controls over the borders, a coordination mechanism was established which served as a conduit to pass information, to identify problems before they grew, to press for common policies among government agencies, and to build bridges between government and NGOs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs distributed leafelets in countries of origin, warning young women of the dangers of being trafficked to Israel.

In addition, the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report played a role. When the report was initially released in 2006 Israel was in the lowest tier and this was a real force for change.

And of course, there are always the people behind the changes. We had an Attorney General and a Director General of the Ministry of Justice who sincerely cared about this subject. Their doors were open any time of the day or  night, they were ready to help in every way. They made it a matter of priority, including by means of initiating and pushing through government resolutions.  The message was given clearly -we are determined to put a stop to modern slavery and will work hard to achieve this. We had an active and zealous chairman of a special Parliamentary Committee on Trafficking in Women who called public attention to the scourge and served as a watchdog on government. We had courageous NGO representatives who pioneered in identifying the phenomenon and refused to surrender to the luxury of despair. All these were people of passion who brought about social change.

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[1] A seminar in which NGOs and Government can work together and be trained in cooperative techniques to fight against human trafficking.

[2] Israel has enacted a comprehensive anti trafficking law entitled Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (Legislative Amendments) Law, 5767 - 2006. The law came into force on October 29th 2006. The new legislation reflects an attitude whereby combating trafficking in persons requires the integration of a series of tools and actors. It also places emphasis on the primacy of victim protection and on the dignity of the human personality.

The following are presentations Ms. Gershuni has presented at various events regarding human trafficking.

OSCE Alliance against Trafficking in Persons Conference on National Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms

"From Equality of Rights to Empowerment"- Dialogue U.S. and Israel

The Response to the Israeli Government to Trafficking in Persons: A Study in Shifting Institutional Attitudes





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