US State Department Upgrades Israel's Human Trafficking Ranking

The U.S. report found that Israel fully met the minimum standards for eradicating human trafficking, citing significant progress in prosecution, victim protection, and prevention. Key achievements highlighted in the report include a doubling of trafficking investigations, harsher penalties for offenders, and the establishment of formal procedures to identify and assist various categories of victims. Additionally, Israel expanded its holistic care and rehabilitation services, increased the number of labor and immigration inspectors, and created dedicated police units and specialized prosecutors.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin welcomed the decision, calling the renewed ranking full recognition of Israel's intensive anti-trafficking work. The efforts were led by the governmental coordination unit for combating human trafficking within the Ministry of Justice. Despite the upgrade, the report noted ongoing challenges, including poor living conditions for foreign workers, while Israel's Supreme Court recently raised concerns regarding potential human trafficking in surrogacy cases from Northern Cyprus.