On 27-29 April, officials and experts from Israel and the European Union conducted a special online TAIEX workshop on combatting human trafficking and on the impact of prostitution laws, marking an important cooperation between the EU Delegation to Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

The three-day workshop was attended by high-ranking Israeli Justice Ministry officials and representatives of NGOs, as well as by experts from Sweden and Ireland. The European experts presented the new EU Strategy on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings to their Israeli colleagues, as well as best practices from their home countries.

The online event was part of a series of TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) activities in which Israel and the European Union are exchanging know-how and experience.

This week’s workshop focused on ways to tackle human trafficking and effective ways to implement laws prohibiting the consumption of prostitution, including issues such as enforcement, prosecution and the role of civil society. The question of rehabilitation, including helping victims find employment, was one of the main topics discussed.

“The EU understands the difficulty in addressing the issue,” EU Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret said. “We are not preaching one approach as the only valid way to tackle this challenge. There is no right or wrong approach. But we are happy to share the experiences of EU member states that have adopted a framework similar to the one chosen by Israel.”

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Press release

EU Delegation to Israel website and Facebook page