Brothel Laws in Israel

Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Knesset Sub-Committee on Trafficking in Women, has revealed plans for new legislation that would make operating and advertising prostitution services on-line a criminal act.

The legislation is being presented as an amendment to the existing criminal code and has yet to be approved by the Knesset. If it goes into effect, hundreds of virtual pimps, photographers, Web designers and others involved in running lucrative prostitution and "escort" services on the Internet could face criminal prosecution and possibly jail time. Twenty-one Knesset members have already said they would support such legislation.

Hundreds of virtual brothels operate on the Internet, offering women for sale, commented Gal-On, who is also planning to submit similar legislation against newspapers and magazines advertising such services in the next few days.

These Web sites allow discreet access for clients, protect their anonymity and offer men the chance to request prostitutes. The legal system is currently inactive against these virtual brothels, and there's a real absence of suitable legislation.

Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On is set to unveil legislation that will potentially ban all media - including promotional pamphlets and "business cards" - from advertising prostitution services and providing possible clients with access to the sex industry.

Gal-On's introduction of the bill coincides with International Women's Day on March 8th.

The current law [on prostitution] gives legitimization to the advertising of sex clubs and prostitution in all variety of media, commented Gal-On, who heads the Knesset subcommittee on Trafficking in Women. Her bill has the backing of more than 20 other lawmakers from across the political spectrum: Such promotion in newspapers or with pamphlets and business cards are an inseparable part of the trafficking in women chain.

She continued: Allowing potential clients to receive information about the sex industry only increases women's suffering and generates millions of shekels a year for criminals.

Drafted by the Hotline for Migrant Workers legal adviser Nomi Levenkron, the legislation is intended to widen the existing scope of punishment for those who advertise and promote prostitution; increase jail time from six months to three years for those found guilty of advertising sex services; and up fines meted out.

These new restrictions have been created in order to protect the public sentiment on the basis of moral justice and not to eradicate prostitution completely, said Gal-On: The law will not ban prostitution but only makes it criminal to... promote the services."

Gal-On noted that despite a 2004 ruling against the country's three largest newspapers for advertising sex services, such ads were still regularly published: Ten years have passed since the original law banning the advertisement of sex services was implemented and nothing has changed.

Is there really such a thing as an "online brothel," offering virtual sexual services for sale? Knesset member Zahava Gal-On of the Meretz party says there is, and has opened a new front in the battle against traders in women and sex services, who operate online. Not everybody agrees, though.

The Knesset Subcommittee on the Trafficking in Women will be convening to discuss Gal-On's legislative proposal, which would impose five years' hard time on any person managing an online brothel, or serving as a graphic artist or content editor for the Web site.

Dozens of brothers operate on the Internet, offering women for sale, says Galon, who chairs the subcommittee. The sites enable discretion and anonymity for customers, and enhance the demand for prostitutes. The police and prosecution hardly act at all against the online trafficking sites, she says, because the law hasn't given them the tools and authority. She means to amend that.

However, the Justice Ministry opposes her proposal on the grounds that there is no such thing as a "virtual brothel." Legally, the Internet is not the place where prostitution takes place, wrote Anat Hulta of the State Attorney's office: It is merely a means to advertise prostitution and to link between demand and supply.

In the opinion she penned ahead of the subcommittee meeting, Hulta argues that the existing law provides enough prohibition against engagement in prostitution: the problem is lack of enforcement, she says.

Gal-On's proposal adds the words "Web site" to the list of places where engaging in prostitution is forbidden. The law already includes apartments, clubs, cars and maritime vehicles.