U.S. may punish Israel for not acting against human trafficking

[ry56]

Haaretz

The United States may rank Israel among the group of countries not taking action against human trafficking - a move that could result in the imposition of economic sanctions.

In its response to questions on the matter from the U.S. administration, the Justice Ministry noted that while Israel has seen grave cases involving the exploitation of foreign workers, and even isolated incidents that can be defined as trade for the purposes of labor, these cases do not meet the U.S. legal definition of human trafficking.

The U.S. State Department publishes an annual report on international human trafficking, ranking countries according to their efforts to eradicate the trend. In 2001, when the report was first published, Israel was ranked on the lowest tier, among countries that do not meet the minimum standards in the struggle against human trafficking and are not making any efforts to improve.

Over the last three years, however, Israel moved up a notch, and is now included among countries that are making an effort to get better.

Justice Ministry officials fear, however, that the upcoming report, which will be published in June, will again see Israel on the lowest tier. “Israel’s position - that foreign workers are exploited but not to the extent of trafficking - was rejected by the Americans,” Justice Ministry attorney Miri Sasson told the Knesset committee on foreign workers this week.

Also addressing the panel, the director of the Foreign Ministry’s human rights division, Daniel Maron, said: “The United States has no doubt that there is human trafficking in Israel.”

One of the central criteria stipulated in U.S. law as a minimal standard for combating the phenomenon is harsh punishment. Human trafficking in the United States carries a penalty of 16 years in jail, whereas in Israel the maximum penalty is one year.

Outgoing panel chairman MK Ran Cohen (Yahad) has asked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to appoint someone to coordinate the state’s fight against trafficking in humans.

 

[cestusdei]

Back again?

 

[HagiaSophia]

cestusdei:

Back again?

And they say there is no such thing as “reincarnation” — we’ve got one coming to life in Non-Catholic too. Seems to be an epidemic.

 

[ry56]

Trafficking in Women Could Threaten U. S. Aid.
Haaretz [Israeli newspaper], July 13, 2001
“If the Israeli government does not take significant steps to halt trafficking in women, it will face U.S. sanctions. ‘Israel does not yet meet the minimum standards for combating trafficking in persons, and has not yet made significant efforts to combat the problem,’ the State Department said in a scalding report on human trafficking in 2001 issued last night. The report cites Israel as ‘a destination country for women from Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, and some countries in Asia’ … Israeli law enforcement officials estimate that 85 percent of the prostitutes in the country are illegal aliens smuggled into Israel via Sinai. They say present laws do little to protect the women and enable the pimps and slave traders to operate with relative impunity.”

 

[ry56]

Police say they find largest sex-trade ring in years,

Haaretz (Israel), September 21, 2004

"Israeli and Russian police announced Tuesday that they had uncovered the largest network of white slave traders operating between the two nations in the past few years. The alleged leaders of the network were arrested - 10 people in all - in a joint police operation over the weekend.

The investigation began a few months ago, when several suspects were arrested in Jerusalem on suspicion of smuggling women from the former Soviet Union into the country and employing them in escort services in the city. As the investigation proceeded, Jerusalem police inspectors managed to locate the alleged top white slave-trade criminal Shota Shmalashvili, also nicknamed “Tarzan,” in Moscow. Shmalashvili, who was targeted by several police intelligence agencies worldwide, was apprehended on Friday.

Police also arrested two of his alleged partners who operate in Israel. The two were arrested on suspicion of smuggling dozens of women across the Egyptian border over the past few years and selling them to escort services and brothels throughout the country, at a price of some $7,000 per woman."

 

[ry56]

Detectives smash massive ring trafficking in women,

Haaretz (Israel), September 28, 2004

"Police have arrested 40 suspected members of a Russian-Israeli prostitute smuggling ring in the last few days. The gang is believed to have brought hundreds of women into Israel in the past decade. The suspects allegedly took advantage of a lack of coordination between government offices and brought the women in under the Law of Return, establishing bogus family ties and claiming grants from the Absorption Ministry.

Among the 40 is the alleged head of the organization, Genady Bosolovich, an Israeli resident. Police seized bank accounts, luxury cars, and cash valued at several million shekels. The investigation began several few months ago, starting with information the police interrogation division gathered about an international ring smuggling women to Israel as new immigrants.

“We discovered a well-oiled forgery machine that created fictitious individuals and families, and a system that took advantage of the fact that Israel welcomes new immigrants,” said Jerusalem District Police commander Major General Ilan Franko.

Police believe members of the crime ring approached women in difficult circumstances in Russia and the Ukraine and offered work in Israel as strippers or prostitutes. They persuaded the women to establish fictitious Jewish families in their home country … The women allegedly signed contracts for two to four years, requiring them to work at brothels and pay the gang $36,000, as well as depositing the absorption allowances they received into the ring’s bank account."

 

[cestusdei]

And there is no such thing in other countries?

ry/st. james,
Jew baiting seems to be your hobby. Can’t you take a hint?

 

[Richardols]

cestusdei:

And there is no such thing in other countries?

White slavery in other countries is grounds for overlooking white slavery in Israel?

Jew baiting seems to be your hobby. Can’t you take a hint?

How does quoting from Israeli newspapers on a serious crime problem that Israel is trying to take action against amount to jew-baiting?

Your response reminds me of the people over on the Rapoture-Ready Board who tolerate no criticism whatever of Israel.

 

[cestusdei]

Rich,
Having just come from there I can critique Israel. But ry56/St. James is a Jew baiter who quoted from a neo-nazi website in a previous incarnation. Not an ally of yours I hope? But it is odd that the left and right have come together on the issue of Israel. The problem here is that white slavery is not just a Jewish problem as ry wants us to think. It exists in Muslim nations for example. In fact they have slavery in the real sense in Muslim nations like Sudan. I am sure there is even white slavery somewhere in the UK. That doesn’t mean the reason for it is because they are English. Therein lies my criticism of ry’s bigoted notion.