About Us
TFHT’s mission
To reduce the consumption of prostitution in Israel and eventually end sex trafficking; to prevent women from falling into prostitution and exploitation.
Why are we engaged in this challenge?
In order to guarantee an ethical, equality-based Israeli society in which thousands of women are not daily prostituted and exploited day in and day out, in most cases out of desperation.
About the Task Force on Human Trafficking
The Task Force on Human Trafficking and Prositution was established in 2003 in collaboration with ATZUM – Justice Works and the law firm Nevo, Keidar, Blum, and Associates. TFHT’s focuses on advancing policy that addresses human trafficking and prostitution on the legislative, judicial, enforcement and educational levels; drafting bills and ushering them through the legislative process; initiating judicial processes; being in constant contact with law enforcement agencies, and engaging in raising awareness of prostitution and its consequences for both the individual and society.
Since its inception, TFHT has worked to end sex trafficking in Israel. In 2009, we began focusing efforts on the struggle against the consumption of prostitution, understanding that as long as there was no prohibition, prostitution would flourish and constitute an essential component for human trafficking. Today, since the law prohibiting consumption of prostitution has gone into effect, TFHT works to advance policy in a number of areas:
- Expansion of assistance and rehabilitation efforts to the prostituted population and victims of trafficking
- Intensifying enforcement on traffickers, pimps, and purchasers of sexual services
- Early identification of young people at risk of entering prostitution, and prevention of their exploitation
- Educating the next generation of potential consumers of prostitution
- Raising public awareness and that of elected officials about prostitution and its effects
In addition, TFHT coordiantes a coalition around the struggle against prostitution. The coalition includes 15 Israel organizations, among them government agencies, NGOs and non-profits partnering to address various facets of prostitution. The coalition’s objective is to eliminate prostitution in Israel, both by means of advancing legislative policy and by extending services to prostitution survivors, 76% of whom stated they would exit prostitution if they could; 62% of whom are mothers, a significant majority mothers of minors.
Currently, 14,000 people are prostituted in Israel — men, women, transgenders, adults, and minors — 204 of whom have died, either by their own hands or those of clients or pimps. Their average age of death is 40. The most common age of entering prostitution is 13-14, 8th or 9th graders. Most prostituted persons were sexually abused as children. These statistics clearly indicate most prostituted persons do not engage in sex work by choice, but rather out of desperation, finding themselves outside the frameworks of school and family. Trade in prostitution in Israel is 1.3 billion NIS annually, only a fraction of which actually reaches the prostituted person her/himselves.
Our accomplishments thus far:
- Raising public awareness of human trafficking
- Raising public awareness of prostitution and sex trafficking in Israel
- Raising public awareness of the damage caused by prostitution and sex trafficking
- Expanding rehabilitation services and extending aid to women in prostitution
- Enacting a law prohibiting the purchase of prostitution
- Passing an amendment on the crime of human trafficking
- Establishing a fund for assisting victims of human trafficking
- Enforcement of the prohibition of print advertising of prostitution services
- Enacting a law enabling the authorities to block websites advertising prostitution services
- Enacting a law enabling the authorities to block phone numbers used for prostitution services
- Securing the State Prosecutor’s determination that the “lap dance” is an act of prostitution
- Closure of erotic dance establishments in Tel-Aviv
- Establishing the Dedicated Model in Insolvency Proceedings for Prostituted Populations
TFHT’s Team
Adv. Ori Keidar
Co-founder
Rabbi Levi Lauer
Co-founder
Moria Rodal Silfen
Task Force Director & CEO
Osnat Hitron
Government Liaison Director
Shiri Chhen
Spokesperson and new media manager
Noa Rodman
Rehabilitation and Anti-Trafficking Coordinator
Olga Shimansky
Partnerships and community manager
Elana Ben Haim
Development Manager
TFHT's Team Throughout the Years
TFHT’s work is done thanks to the devotion of the following woman throughout the years:
Roni Aloni Sadovnik
2004-2009
Yedida Wolfe
2005-2010
Avital Rosenberg Seri
2010-2012, 2015-2018
Gili Varon
2011-2014
Michal Label
2014-2016
Reuma Schlesinger
2015-2017
Yael Ben Saadon
2017-2019
Dafna Galili
2018-2019
Ya’ara Hallakoun
2018-2019
Nitzan Kahana
2017-2020
Chen Shopen
2020
Ayelet Dayan
2020-2021
Or Abo
2020-2024