According to the Jerusalem Post, all 654 Thai female workers employed in the Israeli agricultural sector have stated that they have been subjected to sexual harassment and rape.
This report, presented to the Special Committee on Foreign Workers of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, reflects the depth of the moral and legal crisis in this sector.
Immigration experts have warned that these workers face the risk of losing their jobs and residency if they file a complaint.
One expert, Kurlander, has emphasized that these women are effectively abandoned and there is no clear path to pursue their complaints.
Also, Shiri Levran, an official at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, has acknowledged that foreign workers are effectively forced to choose between enduring harassment or deportation if they file a complaint.
Official Israeli institutions, including the police and the insurance company, have stated that they do not have reliable data on complaints of sexual harassment by foreign workers.
This report is a serious alarm bell for the human rights situation in the occupied territories.
