Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1652
2006-04-27 14:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
GOI SEEKS NGO INPUT ON NEXT STEPS IN FIGHT AGAINST
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001652
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR G/TIP: GAYATRI PATEL; NEA/IPA: WES REISSER;
NEA/RA: JOHN MENARD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB IS KCRM GTIP ISRAELI SOCIETY
SUBJECT: GOI SEEKS NGO INPUT ON NEXT STEPS IN FIGHT AGAINST
TRAFFICKING
REF: TEL AVIV 1391
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001652
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR G/TIP: GAYATRI PATEL; NEA/IPA: WES REISSER;
NEA/RA: JOHN MENARD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB IS KCRM GTIP ISRAELI SOCIETY
SUBJECT: GOI SEEKS NGO INPUT ON NEXT STEPS IN FIGHT AGAINST
TRAFFICKING
REF: TEL AVIV 1391
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOI inter-ministerial
anti-trafficking committee decided at its April 26 meeting to
press for rapid passage of the draft anti-trafficking bill,
and to address specific concerns raised by three leading NGOs
critical of the GOI's anti-trafficking efforts. The
committee invited the three NGOs to attend their meeting,
where NGO representatives presented a "wish list" of
anti-trafficking measures, including clarification of items
in the draft bill, prosecution of foreign workers who assist
labor traffickers, and formalization of the process for
issuing visas to victims of sex trafficking. The USG
anti-trafficking award has reportedly strengthened its
recipient, Rachel Gershuni, in her attempt to lead efforts to
address the issues raised by NGOs (reftel). COMMENT: GOI
officials took an unusual step by formally inviting NGO
representatives to present their ideas at a high-level,
inter-ministerial meeting, and by acting immediately to
implement NGO recommendations to increase training of judges
and police, and to formalize visa adjudication procedures for
sex trafficking victims. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.
-------------- ---
GOI ANTI-TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE INVITES NGO INPUT
-------------- ---
2. (SBU) MFA Director of International Organizations Daniel
Meron told poloff April 26 that the inter-ministerial
anti-trafficking committee invited to its April 26 meeting
representatives from the Hotline for Migrant Workers, Kav
LaOved (Workers' Hotline),and Isha L'Isha (Woman to Woman)
in order to, as Meron terms it, "go over all pending issues,
to see where we stand." He said that the committee discussed
"how to make sure the Knesset bill goes through quickly."
3. (SBU) De Facto Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Rachel
Gershuni told poloff that NGOs presented to the committee a
"wish list" of anti-trafficking measures. The NGO
representatives who attended the meeting -- Uri Sadeh, field
coordinator for the Hotline for Migrant Workers; Yuval
Livnat, legal counsel for Kav LaOved; and Tali Eisenberg,
legal counsel for Isha L'Isha -- told poloff that they made
the following points.
--------------
NGOS RECOMMEND NEXT STEPS FOR THE GOI...
--------------
...IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LABOR TRAFFICKING...
4. (SBU) Yuval Livnat of Kav LaOved and Uri Sadeh of the
Hotline for Migrant Workers said that they urged GOI
officials to take the following steps:
-- Clarify the definition of "trafficking" in the draft
anti-trafficking bill.
NGOs worry that traffickers may claim that the practice of
dismissing workers shortly after they arrive in Israel in
order to collect commission fees constitutes "trafficking for
commission fees," which the Knesset bill does not explicitly
outlaw, instead of "trafficking for labor," which the bill
does outlaw.
-- Prosecute foreign workers who facilitate trafficking.
NGOs said that Israeli employers increasingly use foreign
workers to serve as "middle men" to collect fees from and
intimidate other foreign workers. The Israeli National
Police (INP) have focused on investigating and prosecuting
Israeli employers, but neglected to pursue foreign workers
who facilitate the trafficking of their co-nationals. NGOs
aver that the police currently lack the linguistic and
cultural fluency necessary to understand the illegal activity
that occurs within foreign worker communities.
-- Increase investigation and prosecution of passport
confiscation by employers.
NGOs reported that the crime unit of the Immigration
Administration (IA) rarely investigates employers who
illegally confiscate only one passport; IA investigators
focus, instead, on employers who confiscate two or more
passports. This practice renders domestic workers
particularly vulnerable to exploitation. In addition, NGOs
noted that the IA generally informs employers before it
conducts inspections, and encouraged the IA to conduct more
surprise inspections in the future.
...AND IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING
5. (SBU) Tali Eisenberg of Isha L'Isha and Uri Sadeh of the
Hotline for Migrant Workers said that they urged GOI
officials to take the following steps:
-- Formalize the process for issuing visas to victims of sex
trafficking.
NGOs reported disappointment that the decision-making process
for approving residency and work visas for trafficking
victims continues to lack transparency, consistency, and
criteria.
-- Train the military and police forces that protect the
Israel-Egypt border on trafficking issues.
Now that the GOI has significantly increased the number of
soldiers and police guarding Israel's southern border with
Egypt, NGOs say that it is imperative to train the new forces
to search for, identify, and handle trafficking victims.
-- Increase the training of judges.
NGOs report that not enough of Israel's judges have received
formal training about trafficking in persons.
--------------
THE GOI REPORTS ITS NEXT STEPS
--------------
6. Rachel Gershuni reported that the committee decided to
take the following steps to address NGO suggestions:
-- Organize more training for judges.
Gershuni said that the committee decided that she should
schedule a meeting with the director of the judges training
institute in Haifa to urge him to incorporate an
anti-trafficking module in the formal curriculum for the
continuing education of Israel's judges.
-- Approach the commander of the border police about training
his personnel on trafficking issues.
Gershuni said that the committee decided that she should
approach the commander of the Israeli border police to see if
he will permit his policemen to receive the same training on
trafficking issues that leaders of the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) have agreed to provide to IDF soldiers.
-- Identify GOI points of contact for NGOs and trafficking
victims.
Gershuni reported that the committee provided to the NGO
representatives at the meeting additional, individual points
of contact at Ben Gurion airport, the Israeli National
Police, and the Immigration Administration. She said that
the committee encouraged NGOs to contact these individuals to
protest mistaken deportations of trafficking victims, or to
investigate allegations of abuse of foreign workers.
-- Formalize procedures for issuing visas to trafficking
victims.
Gershuni said that she secured on April 10 agreement to
formalize visa adjudication procedures from the senior
official responsible for creating and implementing this
policy, Yisachar Katsir, director of the Population
Administration in the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
Gershuni said that she worked with MOI officials to draft the
formal procedure for Katsir's review, and that Katsir said
that he aims to approve the final draft by the end of May.
7. (SBU) Gershuni also reported that she will be meeting May
1 with the deputy director general of the Ministry of
Justice, Moshe Shilo, to resolve technical delays in the
official appointment of an anti-trafficking coordinator, and
to discuss the date for an anti-trafficking seminar
tentatively scheduled to take place during the summer.
-------------- --------------
USG AWARD STRENGTHENS ANTI-TRAFFICKING COORDINATOR
-------------- --------------
8. (SBU) Uri Sadeh of the Hotline for Migrant Workers told
poloff that the Department's anti-trafficking "hero" award
has increased Rachel Gershuni's influence within the GOI.
"She has had problems in the past with people in the
government who consider her a pain," Sadeh said. "This is
the first time I've seen them visibly proud of her. Please
draw as much attention to this award as you can." Gershuni
confirmed that the award has strengthened her position as
unofficial coordinator, making it easier for her to persuade
other government officials to cooperate with her. "I plan to
use this award for all it's worth," she said.
********************************************* ********************
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
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR G/TIP: GAYATRI PATEL; NEA/IPA: WES REISSER;
NEA/RA: JOHN MENARD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB IS KCRM GTIP ISRAELI SOCIETY
SUBJECT: GOI SEEKS NGO INPUT ON NEXT STEPS IN FIGHT AGAINST
TRAFFICKING
REF: TEL AVIV 1391
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOI inter-ministerial
anti-trafficking committee decided at its April 26 meeting to
press for rapid passage of the draft anti-trafficking bill,
and to address specific concerns raised by three leading NGOs
critical of the GOI's anti-trafficking efforts. The
committee invited the three NGOs to attend their meeting,
where NGO representatives presented a "wish list" of
anti-trafficking measures, including clarification of items
in the draft bill, prosecution of foreign workers who assist
labor traffickers, and formalization of the process for
issuing visas to victims of sex trafficking. The USG
anti-trafficking award has reportedly strengthened its
recipient, Rachel Gershuni, in her attempt to lead efforts to
address the issues raised by NGOs (reftel). COMMENT: GOI
officials took an unusual step by formally inviting NGO
representatives to present their ideas at a high-level,
inter-ministerial meeting, and by acting immediately to
implement NGO recommendations to increase training of judges
and police, and to formalize visa adjudication procedures for
sex trafficking victims. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.
-------------- ---
GOI ANTI-TRAFFICKING COMMITTEE INVITES NGO INPUT
-------------- ---
2. (SBU) MFA Director of International Organizations Daniel
Meron told poloff April 26 that the inter-ministerial
anti-trafficking committee invited to its April 26 meeting
representatives from the Hotline for Migrant Workers, Kav
LaOved (Workers' Hotline),and Isha L'Isha (Woman to Woman)
in order to, as Meron terms it, "go over all pending issues,
to see where we stand." He said that the committee discussed
"how to make sure the Knesset bill goes through quickly."
3. (SBU) De Facto Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Rachel
Gershuni told poloff that NGOs presented to the committee a
"wish list" of anti-trafficking measures. The NGO
representatives who attended the meeting -- Uri Sadeh, field
coordinator for the Hotline for Migrant Workers; Yuval
Livnat, legal counsel for Kav LaOved; and Tali Eisenberg,
legal counsel for Isha L'Isha -- told poloff that they made
the following points.
--------------
NGOS RECOMMEND NEXT STEPS FOR THE GOI...
--------------
...IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LABOR TRAFFICKING...
4. (SBU) Yuval Livnat of Kav LaOved and Uri Sadeh of the
Hotline for Migrant Workers said that they urged GOI
officials to take the following steps:
-- Clarify the definition of "trafficking" in the draft
anti-trafficking bill.
NGOs worry that traffickers may claim that the practice of
dismissing workers shortly after they arrive in Israel in
order to collect commission fees constitutes "trafficking for
commission fees," which the Knesset bill does not explicitly
outlaw, instead of "trafficking for labor," which the bill
does outlaw.
-- Prosecute foreign workers who facilitate trafficking.
NGOs said that Israeli employers increasingly use foreign
workers to serve as "middle men" to collect fees from and
intimidate other foreign workers. The Israeli National
Police (INP) have focused on investigating and prosecuting
Israeli employers, but neglected to pursue foreign workers
who facilitate the trafficking of their co-nationals. NGOs
aver that the police currently lack the linguistic and
cultural fluency necessary to understand the illegal activity
that occurs within foreign worker communities.
-- Increase investigation and prosecution of passport
confiscation by employers.
NGOs reported that the crime unit of the Immigration
Administration (IA) rarely investigates employers who
illegally confiscate only one passport; IA investigators
focus, instead, on employers who confiscate two or more
passports. This practice renders domestic workers
particularly vulnerable to exploitation. In addition, NGOs
noted that the IA generally informs employers before it
conducts inspections, and encouraged the IA to conduct more
surprise inspections in the future.
...AND IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING
5. (SBU) Tali Eisenberg of Isha L'Isha and Uri Sadeh of the
Hotline for Migrant Workers said that they urged GOI
officials to take the following steps:
-- Formalize the process for issuing visas to victims of sex
trafficking.
NGOs reported disappointment that the decision-making process
for approving residency and work visas for trafficking
victims continues to lack transparency, consistency, and
criteria.
-- Train the military and police forces that protect the
Israel-Egypt border on trafficking issues.
Now that the GOI has significantly increased the number of
soldiers and police guarding Israel's southern border with
Egypt, NGOs say that it is imperative to train the new forces
to search for, identify, and handle trafficking victims.
-- Increase the training of judges.
NGOs report that not enough of Israel's judges have received
formal training about trafficking in persons.
--------------
THE GOI REPORTS ITS NEXT STEPS
--------------
6. Rachel Gershuni reported that the committee decided to
take the following steps to address NGO suggestions:
-- Organize more training for judges.
Gershuni said that the committee decided that she should
schedule a meeting with the director of the judges training
institute in Haifa to urge him to incorporate an
anti-trafficking module in the formal curriculum for the
continuing education of Israel's judges.
-- Approach the commander of the border police about training
his personnel on trafficking issues.
Gershuni said that the committee decided that she should
approach the commander of the Israeli border police to see if
he will permit his policemen to receive the same training on
trafficking issues that leaders of the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) have agreed to provide to IDF soldiers.
-- Identify GOI points of contact for NGOs and trafficking
victims.
Gershuni reported that the committee provided to the NGO
representatives at the meeting additional, individual points
of contact at Ben Gurion airport, the Israeli National
Police, and the Immigration Administration. She said that
the committee encouraged NGOs to contact these individuals to
protest mistaken deportations of trafficking victims, or to
investigate allegations of abuse of foreign workers.
-- Formalize procedures for issuing visas to trafficking
victims.
Gershuni said that she secured on April 10 agreement to
formalize visa adjudication procedures from the senior
official responsible for creating and implementing this
policy, Yisachar Katsir, director of the Population
Administration in the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
Gershuni said that she worked with MOI officials to draft the
formal procedure for Katsir's review, and that Katsir said
that he aims to approve the final draft by the end of May.
7. (SBU) Gershuni also reported that she will be meeting May
1 with the deputy director general of the Ministry of
Justice, Moshe Shilo, to resolve technical delays in the
official appointment of an anti-trafficking coordinator, and
to discuss the date for an anti-trafficking seminar
tentatively scheduled to take place during the summer.
-------------- --------------
USG AWARD STRENGTHENS ANTI-TRAFFICKING COORDINATOR
-------------- --------------
8. (SBU) Uri Sadeh of the Hotline for Migrant Workers told
poloff that the Department's anti-trafficking "hero" award
has increased Rachel Gershuni's influence within the GOI.
"She has had problems in the past with people in the
government who consider her a pain," Sadeh said. "This is
the first time I've seen them visibly proud of her. Please
draw as much attention to this award as you can." Gershuni
confirmed that the award has strengthened her position as
unofficial coordinator, making it easier for her to persuade
other government officials to cooperate with her. "I plan to
use this award for all it's worth," she said.
********************************************* ********************
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