Human Trafficking in Israel

In an otherwise undeveloped region, Israel stands out as a modern, market economy nation. It is a country where high tech is king, and this prosperity not only makes life attractive for those in the immediate countries but across the world. Some come in guest worker programs, eager to make extra money to send back home. They come as far as places like the Philippines or Thailand. With the Second Intifada, it was almost a requirement to bring in foreign workers. (Rosenthal, 372)


But this influx of foreign labor also led to a darker phase of human trafficking that was previously unheard of in Israel. Some of this is due to prostitution, which is legal in Israel, although brothels and pimps are not. (Rosenthal, 372) But it is also due to the need of labor, and above all greed.


Prostitution is nothing new in Israel. Many of Israel’s prostitutes before the 1990's were Israeli, and more Mizrachi than Ashkenazi. (Rosenthal 373) Many did so to support families. For a while the situation was manageable and more or less not an issue. But the dissolution of the Soviet Union  caused massive changes to not only Israel as a whole but the nature of vice in that country.

A massive amount of Soviet Jews, nearly a million, entered the country. While not all were Jews, they all had some sort of ties to their former countries. But a different kind of immigrant, the Russian Mob, also came. (Rosenthal, 374) To them Israel was a virtual paradise, untouched my organized crime. With absolutely no competition, and a weak government response (this was during Olso), the Mafia set up shop. Soon prostitution became a 'Russian' job, and many girls were not even Israeli anymore.

Of course this disrupted the business of the Israeli prostitutes, who saw their former clients rushing to the blondes. (Rosenthal, 373) But a more serious thing occurred besides a change of clientele. With the brothels came crime also associated with the Mafia: money laundering, drugs, pimping, and of course human trafficking. (Rosenthal, 378) All this was unknown to most Israelis, and even today its response is seen by the international community as not strong enough.

Yet it seems Israel does not want to stop it. The police are intimidated by the infamous Russian Mafia, who are known to make people 'disappear', regardless if they are government employees. But it is also the government itself who is complacent. Many officials visit the "massage parlors" and "health clubs". (Rosenthal, 370) Visas to Ukraine were suspended in 2007, facilitating the flow of women.

Whether its the poor foreign worker looking for a decent job, or the desperate Eastern European with children, Israel is seen as a great place to make money. It is estimated that anywhere between 1,000 to 3,000 foreign workers are prostitutes, but that over 20,000 are "subjugated to forced labor". But they must pay the traffickers $1,000 to $10,000 just to make the trip. Many women are duped into thinking that they will get jobs as maids or secretaries. They go to Egypt to enjoy a "vacation", only to be told that they 'owe' the mob now and smuggled across the border. (Rosenthal, 375) Instances of rape by their Bedouin handlers are not uncommon.

In Israel, they are treated like slaves, and in many cases they really are. Such crime is by now normal in the West, and while Ben-Gurion may have said that Israel will become a normal country when prostitution and drugs are common, it by no means justifies such things. In an age of intense media scrutiny, the last thing Israel needs is a bad reputation with human trafficking. But on a humanitarian note, these poor people, prostitutes and workers alike, are enslaved in a system which there is little to get out of.


It is my hope that not only will the police do their job, but that the government steps in and stops allowing such gross violations of human rights. If they really want they can keep prostitution, but the Mafia must be kicked out and these slaves freed, into the literal promised land. But it is big business in Israel, estimated to make over $62 million off of prostitution alone.

I find these sources very useful in getting me statistical facts on the situation. It is often under reported and when such revelations come up it makes the job of those concerned, like the Unites States and United Nations, much easier. Fox News of course is a well known news source . These sources also help fill in some of the blanks the Rosenthal book does not fully address. But it is my ultimate hope that such abuses end not just in Israel but worldwide.