On October 19, 2021, Israel's Knesset Special Committee on Foreign Workers discussed a report examining gender-based violence against Thai migrant agricultural workers employed in Israel. The report was prepared by immigration researchers Dr. Yahel Kurlander and Dr. Shahar Shoham and presented to lawmakers during the committee session.
The researchers stated that Thai women working in Israeli agriculture faced a significant risk of sexual violence, exploitation, and unsafe working and living conditions. They argued that structural aspects of Israel's migrant labor system left many workers vulnerable and made it difficult for victims to report abuse or seek assistance without risking the loss of their employment and housing.
During the hearing, representatives from Israel's National Insurance Institute and Israel Police acknowledged that their agencies did not maintain comprehensive data specifically identifying complaints filed by foreign workers. Members of the committee called for additional discussions to improve data collection, reporting procedures, and protections for migrant workers.
Following widespread media coverage, the researchers clarified that their study was based on qualitative interviews with Thai migrant workers, labor recruiters, farmers, and representatives of civil society organizations. They stated that the research was intended to identify structural problems within the migrant labor system and was not a quantitative survey of every agricultural worker in Israel. They emphasized that reports claiming the study found that 100 percent of all foreign agricultural workers had been sexually assaulted overstated the scope of their research.
The report contributed to ongoing discussions in Israel regarding migrant worker rights, workplace safety, labor protections, and access to justice for foreign workers employed in the agricultural sector.
