VZCZCXRO6297
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0700/01 0650354
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060354Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9802
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0752
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 2567
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 1027
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0793
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 1574
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU 0166
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0345
RUEHRY/AMEMBASSY CONAKRY 0022
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0450
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0016
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0256
RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0132
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1918
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0318
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0192
RUWDQAA/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TEL AVIV 000700 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, NEA/RA, USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: GTIP ASEC ELAB IS KCRM KFRD KJUS KWMN PHUM
PREF, SMIG 
SUBJECT: ISRAEL 2007 TIP REPORT PART 2 OF 2 
 
REF: 2006 STATE 202745 
 
¶20. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section G of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Is there any information or reports of who is 
behind the trafficking?  For example, are the traffickers 
freelance operators, small crime groups, and/or large 
international organized crime syndicates? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that there has always been an 
organized criminal element in trafficking in Israel, and that 
they saw the field increasingly dominated by sophisticated 
organized criminal groups as participation by "regular" 
people (truck drivers, day laborers etc.) that had been 
active in the past, declined in the reporting period.  Isha 
L'Isha said that freelance operators, small crimes groups and 
international organized crime elements were all involved. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Are employment, travel, and tourism agencies or 
marriage brokers fronting for traffickers or crime groups to 
traffic individuals? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that manpower companies and 
employers are involved in bringing migrants for the purpose 
of labor trafficking, in some cases individuals with ties to 
the source country such as foreign citizens who gained 
Israeli citizenship through marriage.  Isha L'Isha reported 
that traffickers sometimes used travel agencies, fictional 
marriage firms, and reunions of family members to smuggle 
victims into the country.  Hotline said that in some cases 
the job agency itself was directly responsible for the 
trafficking, in other cases the victim's employer took 
advantage of their position to extort money out of the 
migrant workers.  In some cases, according to Hotline, the 
victims were brought over via tourist agencies that were 
fronts for trafficking. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Are government officials involved? 
 
ANSWER:  A February 15, 2007 media report said that a senior 
inspector at the Ministry of Labor, Mordechai Abarjil, was 
placed on house arrest under the suspicion of taking bribes 
and spreading inside information to manpower agencies.  A 
February 21, 2007 media report said that two police officers 
with the Immigration Police were accused of working with the 
criminal organization Hariri-Itam by passing intelligence 
information, giving information on investigation, alerting 
before police raids, etc.  No further information is 
available yet on these stories. 
 
Kav LaOved reported that on August 27, 2006 it filed a 
complaint on behalf of a Romanian victim that alleged an 
official of the Ministry of Interior helped arranged fifteen 
migrant worker visas, and that most of them were fictitious. 
Kav LaOved said it specifically requested an investigation of 
this official, but that none was ever conducted. 
 
QUESTION 4:  Are there any reports of where profits from 
trafficking in persons are being channeled?  (e.g. armed 
groups, terrorist organizations, judges, banks, etc.) 
 
ANSWER:  Unknown.  Isha L'Isha said that no report linked 
prostitution with terrorist organizations, drug dealers or 
weapons trafficking. 
 
¶21. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section H of the instructions cable. 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  002 OF 009 
 
 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government actively investigate cases 
of trafficking?  (Again, the focus should be on trafficking 
cases versus migrant smuggling cases.) 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  Hotline said it did not know the 
exact methods used by the police to conduct investigations, 
but knew of cases of undercover police work and previously 
deported women brought back to Israel to give testimony. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Does the government use active investigative 
techniques in trafficking in persons investigations? 
 
ANSWER: GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 3:  To the extent possible under domestic law, are 
techniques such as electronic surveillance, undercover 
operations, and mitigated punishment or immunity for 
cooperating suspects used by the government? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  Does the criminal procedure code or other laws 
prohibit the police from engaging in covert operations? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  According to Hotline, Israeli 
legislation limits the ability of the police to engage in 
these activities, but does not prohibit it.  Permission to 
uses electronic surveillance or conduct house searches 
requires a court order. 
 
¶22. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section I of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government provide any specialized 
training for government officials in how to recognize, 
investigate, and prosecute instances of trafficking? 
 
ANSWER:  The GOI coordinator reported that training programs 
were initiated to help authorities recognize trafficking. 
Hotline reported training to identify victims and legal 
aspects of trafficking for clerks at the Population Registry 
at the Ministry of the Interior.  Hotline also reported they 
received a letter on November 26, 2006 that stated all 
investigators dealing in trafficking undergo two one-week 
training courses.  Immigration Authority policemen and senior 
officials also attended lectures on the issue.  Hotline said 
that policemen lacked proper training in several areas 
relating to sex trafficking. 
 
(SBU) The following answers respond to questions in paragraph 
29, section J of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government cooperate with other 
governments in the investigation and prosecution of 
trafficking cases? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 2:  If possible, can post provide the number of 
cooperative international investigations on trafficking? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
¶23. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section K of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government extradite persons who are 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  003 OF 009 
 
 
charged with trafficking in other countries? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 2:  If so, can post provide the number of 
traffickers extradited? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Does the government extradite its own nationals 
charged with such offenses? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  If not, is the government prohibited by law from 
extraditing its own nationals? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 5:  If so, is the government doing anything to 
modify its laws to permit the extradition of its own 
nationals? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
¶24. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section L of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Is there evidence of government involvement in 
or tolerance of trafficking, on a local or institutional 
level?  If so, please explain in detail. 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that the government made serious 
efforts to combat sex trafficking.  Hotline said the 
government was not directly involved in labor trafficking, 
but was "extremely tolerant" of it.  According to Hotline, 
prior to recently enacted legislation there were no active 
investigations, complaints were not investigated properly, 
most cases were closed, and victims were not awarded any 
protection. 
 
¶25. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section M of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  If government officials are involved in 
trafficking, what steps has the government taken to end such 
participation? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Have any government officials been prosecuted 
for involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption? 
 
ANSWER:  None reported by NGOs.  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Have any been convicted? 
 
ANSWER:  None reported by NGOs.  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  What sentence(s) was imposed?  Please provide 
specific numbers, if available. 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
¶26. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section N of the instructions cable. 
 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  004 OF 009 
 
 
QUESTION 1:  If the country has an identified sex tourism 
problem (as source or destination), how many foreign 
pedophiles has the government prosecuted or 
deported/extradited to their country of origin? 
 
ANSWER:  N/A 
 
QUESTION 2:  What are the countries of origin for sex 
tourists? 
 
ANSWER: N/A 
 
QUESTION 3:  Do the country's child sexual abuse laws have 
extraterritorial coverage (similar to the U.S. PROTECT Act)? 
 
ANSWER: GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  If so, how many of the country's nationals have 
been prosecuted and/or convicted under the extraterritorial 
provision(s)? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
¶27. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 29, section O of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Has the government signed, ratified, and/or 
taken steps to implement the following international 
instruments?  Please provide the date of 
signature/ratification if appropriate. 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
-- ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and 
Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor. 
 
The government ratified ILO Convention 182 on December 16, 
¶2004. 
 
-- ILO Convention 29 and 105 on Forced or Compulsory Labor. 
 
The government ratified these conventions on July 7, 1955 and 
April 10, 1958, respectively. 
 
-- The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, 
and Child Pornography. 
 
The government signed this protocol on November 14, 2001, but 
to the best of our knowledge has not ratified the 
conventions.  GOI input pending. 
 
-- The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking 
in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the 
UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. 
 
The government ratified the Convention in December 27, 2006, 
and is working to ratify the Protocol. 
 
------------------------------------ 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶28. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section A of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government assist victims, for example, 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  005 OF 009 
 
 
by providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief 
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and 
psychological services?  If so, please explain. 
 
ANSWER:  The government provides these services, but the 
scope varies with different groups.  Victims of trafficking 
for prostitution generally receive all of these services, 
while victims of labor trafficking receive only access to 
legal services.  The lack of temporary shelter for victims of 
labor trafficking is especially acute.  Awaiting verification 
as to whether permanent residency status could be granted, 
but to the best of our knowledge it has not gratned to date. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Does the country have victim care and victim 
health care facilities? 
 
ANSWER:  Yes.  However, NGOs reported that the facilities 
were inadequate for the number of victims, and that the 
government often employed alternative solutions -- such as 
placement in kibbutzim - and on numerous occasions asked the 
NGOs if they could house the victims. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Does the country have facilities dedicated to 
helping victims of trafficking?  If so, can post provide the 
number of victims placed in these care facilities? 
 
ANSWER:  Yes.  Ma'agan Shelter can house up 50 women, and 
Isha L'Isha said that is sufficient for the current number of 
trafficking victims, although Isha L'Isha would prefer 
several smaller facilties located at various points around 
Israel rather than one large shelter for the entire country. 
Awaiting input on cuurent number of women housed in the 
shelter.  Victims of labor trafficking do not have a 
facility, and NGOs report that finding temporary housing for 
them is an an ad hoc and often difficult process. 
 
¶29. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section B of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government provide funding or other 
forms of support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to 
victims?  Please explain. 
 
ANSWER:  No, according to NGOs.  GOI input pending. 
 
¶30. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section C of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Do the government's law enforcement and social 
services personnel have a formal system of identifying 
victims of trafficking among high-risk persons with whom they 
come in contact (e.g. foreign persons arrested for 
prostitution or immigration violations)? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. Isha L'Isha reported that the 
government has semi-formal training that needs improvement. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Is there a referral process in place, when 
appropriate, to transfer victims detained, arrested or placed 
in protective custody by law enforcement authorities to NGO's 
that provide short- or long-term care? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  Isha L'Isha reported no, that 
victims who are in the care of the NGOs were not referred to 
them by any established, official process. 
 
¶31. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section D of the instructions cable. 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
QUESTION 1:  Are the rights of the victims respected, or are 
victims treated as criminals? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said that victims' rights are usually 
respected.  According to Hotline, women trafficked for 
prostitution were increasingly treated by authorities both as 
victims with special needs and with greater sensitivity. 
Hotline reported that labor trafficking victims were treated 
as illegal aliens. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Are victims detained, jailed, or deported? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  Hotline reported that a few 
women were detained in cases where they were not properly 
identified as victims by authorities, and that women who did 
not want to be transferred to shelters or give testimony were 
usually deported. 
 
QUESTION 3:  If detained or jailed, for how long? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  For sex trafficking victims, 
Isha L'Isha said that if a victim decided to be deported 
they are detained in a special center until deportation, 
"which takes place within two weeks at the most."  Hotline 
reported that it depends on the time it takes the woman's 
embassy to issue travel documents, usually two to three 
weeks, although Hotline said the Ukrainian and Uzbek 
embassies were "particularly slow" in issuing travel 
documents. 
 
For labor trafficking victims, Hotline noted that in some 
cases, such as Guinea, Israel does not have diplomatic 
relations with the source country, thus victims can be held 
in detention indefinitely.  According to Hotline, victims 
from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal are detained a month on 
average. 
 
QUESTION 4:  Are victims fined? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline and Isha L'Isha both reported no. 
 
QUESTION 5:  Are victims prosecuted for violations of other 
laws, such as those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said no.  Hotline reported this happened 
very rarely, and only in cases where the person entered 
Israel after being deported at least once. 
 
¶32. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section E of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government encourage victims to assist 
in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said yes.  Hotline reported that the 
police encouraged the victims to assist in the investigation. 
 In addition, the new anti-trafficking law instructs judges 
who do not award legal redress to explain the reasoning 
behind their decision.  Hotline said they believe this will 
encourage more judges to award legal redress, and 
consequently more women to testify. 
 
QUESTION 2:  May victims file civil suits or seek legal 
action against the traffickers? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that in 2006, eight women submitted 
civil claims against traffickers, seven of which were with 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  007 OF 009 
 
 
the assistance of the Legal Aid Department of the Ministry of 
Justice, one with the assistance of Hotline.  Hotline said 
only a third of the prosecution witnesses decided to file 
civil suits, citing two main reasons the women are reluctant: 
a lack of faith in state institutions, as they believe that 
free services could not be very good; and a lack of faith - 
that Hotline called justified - that they would ever see the 
money even if they are awarded damages. 
Hotline reported that labor trafficking victims can file 
civil cases in theory, but in practice do not because they 
can't afford lawyers, are deported before they can make a 
decision, and are threatened by traffickers. 
 
According to Hotline, workers can sue their employer in labor 
court, but lack of legal knowledge, lack of representation, 
and the likely termination of work - and resultant loss of 
legal status - prevent most labor victims from doing so. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Does anyone impede the victims' access to such 
legal redress? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said no.  Hotline reported that the 
women were informed of State-provided legal representation 
while they are at the shelters and also via posters hung in 
detention.  Hotline said that in seven rulings in civil cases 
of eight women, compensation was paid to only three women in 
two cases, and that another woman who was awarded 228,000 NIS 
only received 300 NIS.  Hotline also reported that many women 
were deported before the conclusion of their criminal trial, 
and that when compensation was awarded the State made no 
effort to find them and transfer money to them.  GOI input 
pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  If a victim is a material witness in a court 
case against a former employer, is the victim permitted to 
obtain other employment or to leave the country pending trial 
proceedings? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  Hotline reported that women 
waiting to give testimony were given work permits, and if 
they were residing in a shelter they were given assistance in 
finding a job. 
 
QUESTION 5:  Is there a victim restitution program? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending.  The new comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law establishes a victim restitution 
program, and but to the best of our knowledge no fund has 
been established nor monies awarded from it. 
 
¶33. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section F of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  What kind of protection is the government able 
to provide for victims and witnesses? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Does it provide these protections in practice? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that sex trafficking victims stayed 
in the Ma'agan shelter prior to deportation or while waiting 
to give testimony, and were provided protection and services. 
 However, women outside the shelter are not provided with the 
same services.  They are eligible for legal representation 
and visas but not physical or emotional care.  NGOs spoke 
often of the need for transitional housing to aid victims in 
their rehabilitation and help them establish independent 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  008 OF 009 
 
 
lives.  Hotline said that labor trafficking victims received 
legal aid, but otherwise did not receive help except for a 
form to protect them from arrest and detention that had to be 
constantly renewed.  According to Hotline, labor trafficking 
victims did not receive work visas, monetary assistance, or 
health care. 
 
Isha L'Isha reported that shelter for international sex 
trafficking victims provides protection and that there are 
processes to evaluate dangerous situations so that victims 
who are potential court witnesses can remain in Israel, 
although there were very few cases in which this happened. 
Isha L'Isha said there is no specific program to protect 
witnesses. 
 
GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 3:  What type of shelter or services does the 
government provide? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTION 4:  Does it provide shelter or housing to victims or 
other resources to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives? 
 
ANSWER:  GOI input pending. 
 
QUESTIN 5:  Where are child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, 
foster-care, or juvenile justice detention center)? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said that no child victims were found in 
¶2006.  Hotline reported that minors were detained the Michal 
detention center, and did not receive assistance from social 
workers or mental health professionals.  GOI input pending. 
 
¶34. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section G of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government provide any specialized 
training for government officials in recognizing trafficking 
and in the provision of assistance to trafficked victims, 
including the special needs of trafficked children? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said yes. 
 
QUESTION 2:  Does the government provide training on 
protections and assistance to its embassies and consulates in 
foreign countries that are destination or transit countries? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said yes. 
 
QUESTION 3:  Does it urge those embassies and consulates to 
develop ongoing relationships with NGOs that serve trafficked 
victims? 
 
ANSWER:  Isha L'Isha said yes. 
 
¶35. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section H of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Does the government provide assistance, such as 
medical aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated 
nationals who are victims of trafficking? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline reported that there were some cases of 
Israeli women were returned to Israel after being trafficked 
abroad, but that as far as they know these women received no 
assistance from the government.  Isha L'Isha said there was 
 
TEL AVIV 00000700  009 OF 009 
 
 
only one known case of an Israeli trafficking victim for the 
purpose of prostitution in 2006. 
 
¶36. (SBU) The following answers respond to questions in 
paragraph 30, section I of the instructions cable. 
 
QUESTION 1:  Which international organizations or NGOs, if 
any, work with trafficking victims? 
 
ANSWER:  Hotline for Migrant Workers, Isha L'Isha, Kav 
LaOved, the Center for International Migration and 
Immigration, and Machon Toda'a are five prominent Israeli 
NGOs that work with trafficking victims.  International NGOs 
that work with sex trafficking victims in Israel include Las 
Strada in Moldova, the Angel Coalition, IOM Uzbekistan, 
Istikamboli Avlod Uzbekistan, IOM Ukraine, IOM Byelorus, 
Winrock Russia, and IOM Chisinau - Moldova.  UNHCR and 
Amnesty International work with refugees, who can become 
trafficking victims. 
 
QUESTION 2:  What type of services do they provide? 
 
ANSWER:  Each organization provides a different set of 
services to a different group of victims.  A partial list of 
the kinds of services they provide includes: victim's 
hotline; economic assistance; provision of temporary shelter; 
legal representation; legal advocacy; job training; 
psychiatric treatment; medical treatment; greeting women at 
the airport when they land in the source country; helping the 
women to safely arrive home from the airport; 
 
QUESTION 3:  What sort of cooperation do they receive from 
local authorities?  NOTE: If post reports that a government 
is incapable of assisting and protecting TIP victims, then 
post should explain thoroughly.  Funding, personnel, and 
training constraints should be noted, if applicable. 
Conversely, the lack of political will to address the problem 
should be noted as well. 
 
ANSWER:  As reported earlier, the NGOs generally found the 
government to be more responsive than in the past, especially 
GOI TIP coordinator Rachel Gershuni.  Specific cooperation in 
assisting trafficking victims is more limited.  Services NGOs 
cited that the government did provide them, or help them 
provide to the victims, included arranging a safe return to 
their home country from the staff of the Ma'agan shelter; and 
contact with the appropriate NGO to help the women re-adjust 
to life in their home country.  To the best of our knowledge, 
the GOI does not provide funding to NGOs. 
 
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