President Rivlin
President RivlinFlash 90

The President of the State of Israel and the Minister of Justice met today at Beit HaNasi and concluded the details of a special program to delete criminal records and encourage people to leave prostitution. In order to relieve restrictions on leaving prostitution and allowing them to join the workforce, the president and the minister issued a special call to those convicted in the past for crimes related to prostitution who were not sentenced to prison sentences to submit applications for their criminal records to be deleted.

The call is aimed at those convicted in the past for crimes related to prostitution who were not sentenced to prison sentences to submit applications for their criminal records to be deleted. Every application will be considered on its merits and consideration will be given to processes of rehabilitation and treatment by those submitting them.

“The law prohibiting use of sex services is a message to the Israeli public, men and women and young people. The message is that women’s bodies are not a commodity. Women’s souls are not a commodity. And sex for pay are not sexual relations. Sex for pay is an exploitative relation and it has no place in our society, a society that values equality and respect for every man and woman, from every sector and every part of society,” said the president, adding “Fighting the use of sex services is part of the fight against violence against women, part of the fight against the notion that people can use the body and soul of someone else, of women, and do with them what they will as if they were objects to be purchased for money.”

Speaking to women who have left a life of prostitution, the president said, “I cannot really imagine what you have been through in your lives, but I know that life in prostitution means daily, unbearable exposure to violence, poverty, addiction and exploitation. This is life on the brink of death, on the edge of surrender. To break this cycle of pain, which sometimes seems never-ending, with no horizon, requires enormous mental strength. I know that for you, rehabilitation and re-entering the workforce may be a difficult task. You have to deal not only with the trauma, but also with the past and the stigmas that you carry like weights on your legs.”

Speaking about the program, the president said, “Because of this, we have decided – together with the justice minister – to launch a special pardons program to delete records of crimes committed by those in prostitution. Alongside the prohibition on using sex services, it is our duty as a country, as a society, to help rehabilitate sex workers and to prevent those at risk from the crises that lead them to it. I am hopeful that you will find within yourselves the strength to trust and take the hand the country is extending.”

Speaking about the use of pardons during his presidency, he said, “This is one of a number of programs that I have initiated during my presidency. My use of pardons, which is, I believe, one of the most important elements of the role of President of the State of Israel, I wanted to give every citizen of Israel, from all groups and tribes, the possibility to make mistakes happen, but to be able to correct them. People can change their direction, put the past behind them and turn over a new page. We should all have the chance to ask for forgiveness, an opportunity to change our minds, for pardon and consolation.”

The minister of justice thanked the president for the joint program and said, “This is another important step in protecting, rehabilitating and helping people out of prostitution. The special pardons program that we are launching today, President Rivlin and I, was worked out over the last few months with the aim of allowing some mercy, making exceptions where there is a case to do so, and encouraging rehabilitation and genuine reintegration into society without stains of the past. Along with the law prohibiting use of sex services, which I recently signed into law, the new program emphasizes that the State of Israel acknowledges the harmful nature of prostitution and the serious damage it does. This statement of values is no less important. Women are not commodities and their bodies are not to be bought for use to anyone who pays. These important moves will help implement the obligation to find appropriate solutions that ensure rehabilitation, support and protecting the rights of women who leave prostitution, and their best reintegration into society.”