Full Breakdown
Israel Restored to Tier 1 in U.S. Trafficking Report
By Drooid · · How we work
Recent Progress and Remaining Gaps
The U.S. State Department’s 2026 *Trafficking in Persons* Report—covering the period from April 1 2025 through March 31 2026—placed Israel back in Tier 1, the highest category for meeting minimum standards under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The report recorded that police opened 42 trafficking investigations in 2025 ( 33 sex-trafficking, 9 forced-labor ), more than double the 20 investigations opened in 2024, and prosecutors charged 19 alleged traffickers, up from 13 the prior year. However, courts convicted only six traffickers, down from 11 in 2024, and recorded zero forced-labor convictions. Of the nine sentences imposed, five included at least one year of imprisonment.
The State Department also noted that Israel officially recognized 90 trafficking victims in 2025, down from 115 in 2024, but praised the formalization of procedures for identifying Palestinian victims, increased funding for victim-protection services, and the expansion of labor-inspector staffing. A government-commissioned study cited in the report found that 73 % of surveyed construction workers recruited privately paid more than $4,000 in recruitment fees, and NGOs reported some workers paid illegal fees exceeding $25,000.
Official Reactions
Israel’s Justice Ministry welcomed the upgrade, citing the rise in investigations, expanded victim services, additional inspectors, and the creation of dedicated police and prosecution positions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the acknowledgment.
NGO and Comptroller Critiques
Non-governmental organizations cited in the State Department report argued that Israel still applies a high evidentiary threshold for victim recognition, often requiring third-party witnesses and retraumatizing applicants. They said foreign and Palestinian victims remain under-recognized and that services are difficult to access outside Tel Aviv. The report also warned that reliance on private recruitment agencies leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation and debt bondage.
Separately, a State Comptroller report released in July found that police translated only 44 % of limited trafficking intelligence into operational activity in 2024, concluding that enforcement against prostitution-related trafficking, victim protection, and treatment services remained “deficient and incomplete.”
Verbatim Quote
- “We have received full recognition of Israel’s status as one of the world’s leading countries in the fight against human trafficking,” — Justice Minister Yariv Levin — Justice Minister Yariv Levin