Israeli State Comptroller Highlights Gaps in Enforcement Against Underage Prostitution and Human Trafficking

Outgoing Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman released a report on Tuesday addressing prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation, focusing on law enforcement and victim protection. The report, published within three months of Englman's term ending, revealed significant shortcomings in enforcing the law banning the purchase of sex and concerns about under-enforcement of prostitution and trafficking offenses, despite their severe human rights implications.

The report estimates that around 12,000 men and women are involved in prostitution in Israel as of 2024, including between 3,000 and 5,000 minors as of 2025. Over 1,500 addresses were suspected of being prostitution venues in 2024, with hundreds rated as highly or moderately reliable, 40% of which were in the Tel Aviv district. Despite extensive information on suspected prostitution sites in the South, Jerusalem, and North districts, no fines were issued there. The police mapping of prostitution venues was not effectively shared with enforcement agencies.

Only 13 brothels were closed in 2024, out of 60 closures between 2022 and 2025, despite police knowledge of hundreds of suspected locations. Additionally, 95 closure orders were issued for websites since the 2017 law targeting online offenses. The report highlights a disconnect between police perceptions of enforcement based on internal intelligence and actual law enforcement outcomes.

The report also criticized the Population and Immigration Authority's handling of residence permits for recognized trafficking victims, noting irregularities such as conditional approvals requiring unusual guarantees, limited permits not aligned with official procedures, and demands for repeated status reviews after police investigations close. Inspectors were also sent to verify if victims returned to prostitution, a task outside their official remit.

Englman concluded that six years after the law banning the purchase of sex came into effect, enforcement efforts remain insufficient to reduce the problem. He called on the police and Ministry of Justice to intensify enforcement and urged the Population and Immigration Authority to adhere strictly to its authority in granting residence permits to trafficking victims. Implementing these recommendations would help Israel meet its legal and moral obligations.