Dear Project 119 Activists,
As for the past four years, we shall gather this year to commemorate the victims of prostitution. A memorial for Jessica and victims of prostitution will take place on Tuesday, August 13th, at 19:30 in 11 Shoken st., Tel-Aviv and at 18:30 in Hazikaron Garden, Haifa.
Just last week, we learned that two more prostituted women had died, bringing the number of victims in the last nine years to 93.
We will come together to remember the women still abused every single night, and all those who were brutally exploited and enslaved and died tragically at an early age. We will relate the story of their lives and deaths and reaffirm our commitment, and that of the State of Israel, to end this evil and prevent the next victim’s suffering.
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The Pussycat Club in Kikar Atarim has closed!
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Last week was the last the Pussycat Club was open for business in Tel-Aviv’s Kikar Atarim. The Pussycat Club repeatedly made headlines because of the protracted legal battle the Task Force waged to force about its closure. According to the police the club was used as a brothel for many years, women abused as victims of prostitution in private rooms. Click here for a link to an “Haaretz” report.
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At the beginning of July, together with the Kabiri Nevo Keidar Blum law firm, we petitioned the court to order the Tel-Aviv municipality and the police to close the club. Even then, the club was closed because its rental contract was not renewed, not because the authorities initiated legal proceedings against it.
Two years ago, TFHT succeeded to secure the club’s de-licensing. Given the authorities’ reticence to act decisively, we will continue the legal battle against the club’s reopening in new premises. We invite you to read an article in “Haaretz” about that legal battle.
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Although funding for the rehabilitation of prostituted women was transferred to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the program has not yet been launched, preparatory work not yet begun.
We would like to remind you that with passage of the law Prohibiting the Consumption of Prostitution, we also pressed for a significant increase in funding for rehabilitation programs for those escaping prostitution and it was agreed enforcement of the law would only come into effect in 18 months to allow the relevant government ministries time to prepare for it.
While we expected, perhaps too optimistically, the authorities would understand the urgency of the need, we were dismayed to discover the Ministry of Social Affairs dragging its feet. This is particularly troubling as the treasury transferred funding for the rehabilitation program in April. Click here to read the report in “Haaretz”.
We are now in the midst a critical period until the law comes into effect in 11 months and we ask you to send emails to those Ministry officials responsible for establishing and expanding the rehabilitation programs.
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A Celebration of Fifteen Years of Activism!
We thank you our dear supporters for all we have achieved – together.
Please take four minutes to view this video marking the passing of the Knesset legislation prohibiting the consumption of prostitution.
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TFHT is a multi-pronged initiative engaging the Israel Government, enforcement agencies and the public to confront and eradicate human trafficking by lobbying for reform in the areas of prevention, border closure, prosecution of traffickers and pimps, and the protection of trafficked and prostituted women. For more information please visit us at www.tfht.org
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