The government drafted a national plan for combating human trafficking for purposes of slavery and coercion, including steps in the areas of enforcement, prevention and protection. The purpose of the plan is to eliminate the phenomenon of holding migrant workers under slavery conditions, submitting them to forced labor, coercing them to provide sexual services or collecting exorbitant sums from workers and their enslavement to employers and brokers.

"The drafting of a national plan for combating human trafficking is a necessary first step in developing a strategy for eliminating this grave phenomenon," states the document, which was put together by a committee consisting of directors of the Justice, Public Security, Interior, Industry Trade and Labor, Foreign Affairs, Health and Welfare Ministries, along with the Prime Minister's Office and the Police Commissioner.

The Committee adopted dozens of recommendations formulated by a special team led by Rachel Gershuni of the Justice Ministry, who was appointed last year as an inter-ministerial coordinator for combating human trafficking. As a first step, the committee decided to give priority to five objectives: dividing the work among the various enforcement authorities in order to increase the number of lawsuits against employers for coercion and enslavement; formulating criteria for identifying slavery victims; launching information campaigns to inform workers about their rights; designing a package of services for victims, including safe houses and medical services; and assisting victims in returning safely to their countries.

Five teams have been appointed to formulate methods for implementing these tasks within 3-4 months. At the same time, Industry Trade and Labor Ministry inspectors, Immigration police cops as well as other police members receive training to help them recognize violations of migrant workers law and the holding of workers for purposes of slavery. "We are also trying to define indicators that will help distinguishing mere exploitative employers from human traffickers," says Gershuni.

Israel is currently reporting about these measures to the U.S. toward the June publication of the U.S. State Department's annual report, which rates the efforts made by the world's countries to eradicate human trafficking. In last year's report, Israel was included among countries that are not doing enough to combat human trafficking. Last month the State Department issued an interim report stating that Israel has exhibited a "significant progress," especially due to the passage of a law imposing up to 16 years of imprisonment for persons who traffic in human beings for the purpose of coerced labor or hold human beings for this purpose. Previously, the law applied only to human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution. The interim report also expressed satisfaction regarding the appointment of the inter-ministerial coordinator.

In 2003, following reproaches from the U.S. State Department, Israel appointed a committee of directors on human trafficking, but the committee never convened. In 2006, a new committee was created. It convened twice already, and appointed two subcommittees – one for drafting a national plan for combating slavery, and the other for drafting a national plan for combating trafficking for the purpose of prostitution. The second subcommittee is yet to complete its work.

The wide interest that the issue draws was manifest this week during the visit of State Secretary Condoleezza Rice in Israel. In her meeting with party chairs in the Knesset, Rice asked to begin by receiving a report from Knesset Member and Meretz chair Zahava Galon on state actions against human trafficking. Galon established a parliamentary committee on human trafficking, which she has been running for the past four years.