State Comptroller Highlights Sharp Decline in Enforcement of Israel's Prostitution Ban After Six Years

Outgoing State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman released a report on Tuesday examining prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Israel. The report identified significant gaps in enforcing the 2020 law banning the purchase of sex, warning of under-enforcement and inadequate victim protection. Englman stressed that six years after the law's enactment, enforcement efforts remain insufficient and called on the police and Ministry of Justice to intensify actions. He also urged the Population and Immigration Authority to properly issue residence permits to trafficking victims, emphasizing the state's constitutional duty to protect human dignity and freedom.

The audit, conducted from December 2024 to July 2025, revealed that in 2014 approximately 12,000 people were involved in prostitution, 95% of whom were women, including 1,300 minors with an average entry age of 13-14. Estimates for 2025 suggest 3,000 to 5,000 minors remain in prostitution. The cumulative spending on prostitution in 2014 was about 1.3 billion shekels. Since the 2020 law's introduction, Israel has hovered in the US State Department's mid-tier trafficking reports, risking downgrade and sanctions.

Enforcement data showed a 70% drop in police fines for purchasing sex from 3,004 in 2022 to 902 in 2023, with continued decline to 378 in 2024. Although fines rose to 1,061 in 2025, this remains far below 2022 levels. Four of seven police districts had minimal or no enforcement between 2021 and 2025, with 99% of fines issued in just three districts: Tel Aviv, Central, and Coastal. Many suspected prostitution sites in southern, northern, and Jerusalem districts saw no fines. Only 2% of fined individuals completed alternative rehabilitation programs.

The report criticized poor intelligence sharing between health clinics and police, limited police use of online platforms to combat solicitation, and minimal closure of brothels despite over 1,300 suspected locations. Staffing shortages in the police human trafficking unit persist, with only one officer assigned as of mid-2025, despite approved additional positions.

Further issues include inconsistent issuance of residence permits to trafficking victims, internal disputes between the Population Authority and Ministry of Justice harming cooperation, and delayed expansion of asset seizure laws to fund anti-trafficking efforts. The national coordination unit has advanced many tasks but faces challenges in inter-agency cooperation, public hotline responsiveness, professional training programs, and funding for victim transportation to shelters. The report underscores the need for comprehensive, coordinated enforcement and victim support to fulfill Israel's legal and moral obligations.