TFHT (Task Force on Human Trafficking, a joint project of ATZUM and Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar) is pleased to announce the success of its campaign highlighting the prevalence of illegal advertisements for sexual services in Israel and the lack of initiative by the police to prosecute the perpetrators. As a direct result of TFHT’s lobbying in the Knesset, legislation on the issue, originally passed two years ago, has been strengthened and its intent clarified.
Despite these amendments, advertisements for sexual services continue to be commonplace in Israel. In response, TFHT brought the matter to Israel’s Supreme Court. In preparation for the case, TFHT placed false advertisements for sexual services in newspapers to demonstrate to the Supreme Court the ease with which such ads are published in Israel. The advertisements included phone numbers prospective clients could call to schedule an appointment with a prostituted woman. Those who called were greeted by a recording of an actress telling the story of how she had come to work in prostitution. TFHT monitored how many calls these phone numbers received and used them to evidence the widespread demand for prostitution in Israel.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that police and newspapers required more time, albeit very limited, to understand and comply with the law. In the few weeks since the Supreme Court ruling, Israel’s police have arrested the owner of “Banana”, a monthly publication that exclusively advertises sexual services, the country’s largest carrier of such advertisements. This arrest marks significant progress in Israel’s fight against prostitution and sex trafficking and delivers a strong message to advertisers that the State will no longer tolerate those who do not comply with the new legislation.
