'Israel among worst human traffickers'

[Behind the Aegis]

A report released this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has cited Israel as among the top destinations in the trafficking of human beings, either for sexual exploitation or forced labor.

Entitled "Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns," the report claims that, "virtually every country in the world is affected by the crime of human trafficking." However, Israel, along with nine countries, was named as the worst offenders of illegal trade in human beings.

"The fact that this form of slavery still exists in the 21st century shames us all," announced UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa on the organization's Web site. "Governments need to get serious about identifying the full extent of the problem so they can get serious about eliminating it."

In Israel, Haifa feminist center Isha L'Isha, one of the human rights organizations active in the fight against the trafficking of women, welcomed the report's findings and was hopeful that it would force the government and relevant authorities to take more action against this crime.

more...

[acmavm]

1. Well, here's my first shock of the day. You surprised me. Why did YOU

post this?

[Ian David]

2. Because he's intellectually honest and not an apologist with an agenda

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Actually, the report itself is a big surprise for me

I honestly had no idea Israel was involved in such things, no less that they're a key player.

What I don't understand is how a country that was founded by a people who suffered so much in the Holocaust, can turn around and do the same sorts of things to other people? I guess humans are just one screwed up species?

[iconoclastNYC]

10. Power corrrupts

I think that's basically it. Victims when given power over thier victimizers will become as evil as thier victimizers. Statehood gave power to an element of the Isreali populace and it corrupted them.

[donsu]

4. kicking

nt

[BoneDaddy]

5. I love it

Truth is truth even when it hurts close to home. Thanks for the courage BtA. What a horror, I gotta admit, I am surprised by this.

[MattP]

6. Did anybody read the Aricticle? Women From EGYPT!!!!

Did anybody read the article, the women are being smuggled in from Egypt. The Israeli government has nothing to do with it. I swear I love this site but sometimes it seems like anything that bashes Israel is automatically assumed to be true and not even read, where is this Christian paper out of any way?

[incapsulated]

7. I read it...

Here are the salient points:

Tal Eisenberg, the organization's legal advisor and coordinator for the center's Fighting Against Trafficking in Women project told The Jerusalem Post, "It is excellent that the United Nations has recognized that there is such a problem in Israel. I hope that we can learn from the report and that the government will now take more notice of the problem." She said that many countries did not even know that trafficking takes place within their borders and that Israeli rights organizations had made great progress in combating the problem.

Executive Director of Amnesty International Israel, Amnon Vidan said that the Israeli authorities had to deal with the problem before it happened, by stopping the transit of women across the border with Egypt.

[CheChe]

8. Shame on humanity

This is a shame on humanity, not just Israel. I read a huge expose in Time magazine several years ago about the white slave trade (also known as the sex-slave industry) that has sprung up in Eastern Europe. The young women usually have no idea what they are getting into. They are exploited and abused.

Israel is doing something about it. Why can't the UN do more? And the EU and NATO countries should do more to stop the trade. This means more detentions at borders, and more surveillance, which many people object is an infringement of their rights and freedom.

What are the world's priorities? Bin Laden isn't the only problem. The problem begins at home.

Another article about this:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961234432&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[iconoclastNYC]

9. Why that's antisemitic!

As is any criticism of Isreal.

Just ask Alan Dershowizt. :sarcasm:

[jerry611]

11. Surprising...however...

Human trafficking does occur all over the world... Its a global problem that all nations have to work together to stop.