VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0347/01 0431544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121544Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5386

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
G/TIP FOR SHERREN FARAJ, NEA/IPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG
SUBJECT: EMBASSY TEL AVIV SUBMISSION FOR TRAFFICKING IN 
PERSONS SOLICITATION FOR G/TIP-MANAGED FY 2008 ESF AND 
INCLE FUNDS 
 
REF: A. 2006 STATE 161293 
 
     ¶B. 2005 STATE 21234 
     ¶C. 2003 STATE 34981 
 
¶1.  Embassy Tel Aviv submits the following four 
anti-trafficking in persons project proposals for 
consideration of funding from FY 2008 INCLE and ESF 
appropriations. 
 
¶2.  High priority. 
 
NAME OF APPLICANT  Center for International Migration and 
Integration 
 
REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT  $126,882 
 
PROJECT TITLE  Building Capacity to Combat Trafficking for 
Forced Labor in Israel 
 
PROJECT DURATION  24 months 
 
PROJECT ABSTRACT  Following legislative amendments in 2006, 
Israel law criminalizes trafficking for forced labor.  Even 
though steps are being taken to translate the law into actual 
assistance and prosecutions, it is of the essence to increase 
capacity and awareness among the ranks of officials dealing 
directly with the (potential) victims; most of them have no 
experience whatsoever working with this particular group of 
mostly Asian vulnerable migrants.  The proposed project aims 
therefore to support the implementation of the new 
legislation by enhancing the capacity of the Israeli 
government and civil society to combat trafficking for forced 
labor.  The project has built-in sustainability insurances by 
building on legislative and policy processes already 
underway.  It aims to support the effective implementation of 
new laws and policies by providing a stimulus to the required 
human resources infrastructure, in the form of training and 
awareness-raising, bilateral exchanges, study-visits, 
technical assistance and research.  Through enhancing 
government and civil society capacity, the program will 
directly contribute to increased identification of victims 
trafficked for forced labor, improved protection standards 
for victims of trafficking for forced labor, and increased 
prosecution of the traffickers. 
 
¶3.  High priority. 
 
NAME OF APPLICANT  Isha L'Isha-Haifa Feminist Center 
 
REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT  $138,814 
 
PROJECT TITLE  Every Woman's Right to Dignity: Combating 
Internal Trafficking in Women in Israel 
 
PROJECT DURATION  One year. 
 
PROJECT ABSTRACT  The Every Woman's Right to Dignity: 
Combating Internal Trafficking in Women in Israel project is 
an extension of Isha L'Isha's successful Fighting against 
Trafficking in Women project.  With the assistance of 
generous support from the U.S. State Department, Isha L'Isha 
has managed to meet its objective of greatly reducing 
trafficking in women from overseas to Israel.  At this time, 
the proposed project is needed because the high demand for 
sex services has not been reduced now that greater 
anti-trafficking efforts and the creation of new laws result 
in fewer women trafficked from abroad.  This gap is being 
filled by internal trafficking - women who are Israeli 
citizens, forced into prostitution by pimps, abusive 
partners, and drug dealers.  We at Isha L'Isha view all 
prostitution as exploitive, and the coercion, abuse and 
denial of basic human rights involved in internal trafficking 
is no less than that of international trafficking.  However, 
internally trafficked women are currently invisible to the 
government system.  They are routinely ignored - or even 
harmed - by the social services that are meant to be a safety 
net for citizens. 
 
This project aims to advocate for greater government 
responsiveness to their needs and to educate the public about 
the abuses involved in the sex industry.  It will do so by 
educating government officials, clients, and the public 
through lectures, seminars, publications, and media advocacy. 
 It will also help victims receive support by holding 
empowerment workshops, providing trained volunteers to 
accompany them to service offices, a telephone support line, 
and an emergency fund for meeting pressing needs.  Expected 
results include greater government responsiveness to the 
victims' needs, more services available to assist them, a 
reduced number of women in the sex industry, and changed 
 
 
perceptions among the public regarding internal trafficking. 
 
¶4.  Medium priority. 
 
NAME OF APPLICANT Hotline for Migrant Workers 
 
REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT  $150,000. 
 
PROJECT TITLE  The Ina Nagrotza Trafficking in Persons and 
Global Migration Resource Center 
 
PROJECT DURATION  Two years. 
 
PROJECT ABSTRACT  Although Israel has made great strides in 
combating the trafficking of foreign women for prostitution, 
trafficking in persons has not disappeared.  Rather, it has 
diversified to include labor trafficking of migrants, and the 
trafficking of Israeli women for prostitution.  To ensure 
that Israelis have the tools to deal effectively with the 
changing dynamics of trafficking, particularly in light of 
its global nature, they need access to updated and accurate 
information of best practices and recent developments in 
Israel and globally. 
 
The Ina Nagrotza Trafficking in Persons and Global Migration 
Resource Center, the only one of its kind in the country, 
will ensure that this takes place.  It will engage in and 
promote academic research, public knowledge, training and 
information dissemination to the media, academics, the public 
and practitioners.  This increased awareness and expertise is 
necessary to ensure that Israel continues to make progress in 
anti-trafficking initiatives.  We are requesting $150,000 in 
support of the center's activities for two years. 
 
¶5.  Medium priority. 
 
NAME OF APPLICANT  Amnesty International - Israel Section 
 
REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT  $280,000 
 
PROJECT TITLE  Anti-Trafficking in Persons - Education for 
responsibility 
 
PROJECT DURATION  36 months 
 
PROJECT ABSTRACT  Trafficking in persons in Israel (in which 
there is both sexual and forced labor exploitation) is a long 
standing human rights atrocity.  Although there are 
government and civil plans with respect to the same, there is 
a lack of long and short term educational programs for 
community activism - educational initiatives in this regard. 
As a result, we witness the legitimacy of trafficking in 
persons, indifference and lack of understanding by society in 
general and by law enforcement authorities specifically. 
 
The Israeli Section of Amnesty International (AI Israel) 
would like to use the platform of its existing Human Rights 
Education (HRE) program and its HRE program on trafficking in 
persons for enhancement of civil awareness and commitment to 
prevention of trafficking. 
 
We plan to do so not only through the channels of formal 
education in the classroom, but also through educating for 
community activism of youth, university students, teachers 
and future teachers.  We further plan to do so by enhancing 
our strong partnerships with the government ministries, 
including first and foremost with the Ministry of Education 
(MOE), as well as with other NGOs, and by lobbying for the 
adoption and implementation in the national school curriculum 
of a human rights centered educational program on prevention 
of trafficking in persons. 
 
Through these channels of educational programs for community 
activism and lobbying for the official adoption of the 
educational program we expect to see positive changes not 
only in participants' perceptions, knowledge and behavior 
concerning prevention of trafficking in persons, but also in 
larger audiences, which have not been directly targeted 
before. 
 
Thus we aim to become the catalyst for an institutional 
change that will motivate the government to officially 
embrace an educational objective with respect to prevention 
of trafficking in persons in a democratic human rights 
centered society. 
 
Within the framework of this project we plan to hold, among 
others, painting and photography exhibition(s), publication 
of book(s) on the journey of trafficking victims, national 
and international educational conferences and seminars and 
 
 
 
further develop educational workshops and materials in order 
to strengthen both the civil and governmental commitment to 
the prevention of trafficking in persons worldwide and 
specifically in Israel. 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
JONES