Sex slavery rife in Israel

2005-03-24 17:01

Jerusalem - Thousands of foreign women have been smuggled into Israel and sold into prostitution, earning the criminal underworld millions of dollars a year, a parliamentary investigation has found.

For the last four years, between 3,000 and 5,000 women have been sold as sex slaves for 8,000 to 10,000 dollars and forced to work up to 18 hours a day, said the head of the inquiry, Zehava Gal-On, of the left-wing opposition Yahad party.

On average the women receive four dollars for every 120 dollars that clients pay their pimps for their services.

"We began this inquiry to investigate the extent of this phenomenon and raise political awareness of their plight and the brutal nature of the trafficking of women in this time of globalisation," said Gal-On.

"People must understand that sexual slavery is going on under our noses and must be obliterated," she said, praising tough laws against people trafficking and prostitution already in place.

London-based rights group Amnesty International and the US State Department have also reported an alarming increase Jerusalem - Thousands of foreign women have been smuggled into Israel and sold into prostitution, earning the criminal underworld millions of dollars a year, a parliamentary investigation has found.

For the last four years, between 3 000 and 5 000 women have been sold as sex slaves for $8 000 to $10 000 and forced to work up to 18 hours a day, said the head of the inquiry, Zehava Gal-On, of the left-wing opposition Yahad party.

On average the women receive $4 for every $120 that clients pay their pimps for their services.

"We began this inquiry to investigate the extent of this phenomenon and raise political awareness of their plight and the brutal nature of the trafficking of women in this time of globalisation," said Gal-On.

"People must understand that sexual slavery is going on under our noses and must be obliterated," she said, praising tough laws against people trafficking and prostitution already in place.

London-based rights group Amnesty International and the US state department have also reported an alarming increase in prostitution rackets in Israel.

- AFP