Introduction

Pornography lies at the far end of the criminal-violent-exploitative moral scale, consisting of prostitution multiplied ad-infinitum by technology. In the antagonistic discussion on prostitution, a demand is often expressed for institutionalizing and legitimizing prostitution. It is argued that prostitution is different from “trafficking in women”, in that the first relies on a woman’s choice whereas the latter involves coercion and exploitation. The sex trade in Israel is part of the global sex trade, and bears similarities to it. The most conspicuous similarity is related to the expansion of prostitution that accompanies waves of immigration. Israel was a magnet for sex traffickers of women from its establishment. By the end of the 1990s, Israel had become part of the immigrants’ labor market in the West and trading in women for the purpose of prostitution expanded significantly. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.