Prostitution laws in Israelישראל
Israel follows the Nordic model. The Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Law, passed on 31 December 2018 and in force since 10 July 2020, makes consuming a sexual act of prostitution, attempting to, or being in a place used for prostitution with that aim an administrative offence with a 2,000-shekel fine, doubled for a repeat offence; an educational programme can replace the fine. Selling sex is not an offence. The Penal Law punishes living on the earnings of prostitution, keeping a place for prostitution and advertising prostitution services, and courts can order websites used for these offences blocked or removed. In 2025 the Knesset extended the temporary law to July 2030 instead of making it permanent. The State Comptroller reported in 2026 that fines fell from 3,004 in 2022 to 378 in 2024.
Legal model
Buying criminalised (Nordic model). Buying sex is an offence; selling it is not (the "Nordic" or "Equality" model).
Since 10 July 2020, consuming a sexual act of prostitution, or being in a place used for prostitution in order to do so, is an administrative offence with a fixed fine under the Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Law. Selling sex is not an offence. The law is a temporary provision, extended in 2025 until 10 July 2030; a bill to make it permanent did not pass. Brothel-keeping, pimping and advertising prostitution services are crimes under the Penal Law.[1][2][3]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Legal | Selling sex is not an offence. The 2019 law punishes only the consumer, and the Penal Law's prostitution chapter targets third parties: those who live on the earnings, induce, keep or rent out a place, or advertise.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal Administrative offence | Consuming a sexual act of prostitution, including an attempt, or being in a place used wholly or partly for prostitution in order to consume it, is an administrative offence with a fixed fine of 2,000 shekels, doubled for a repeat offence. A person in a place used mainly for prostitution is presumed to be there for that purpose unless shown otherwise. Regulations allow an educational programme instead of the fine.[1][2][4] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Keeping or managing a place, including a vehicle or vessel, for prostitution is punishable by five years (Penal Law s. 204). Renting out a place knowing it will be used for prostitution, or not ending the lease once known, is punishable by six months (s. 205).[2][5] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Living wholly or partly on the earnings of a person engaged in prostitution, or knowingly receiving payment for another's act of prostitution, is punishable by five years (s. 199). Bringing a person to an act of prostitution carries five years (s. 201) and bringing a person to engage in prostitution seven years (s. 202), with up to 16 years where force, threats or deceit are used (s. 203).[2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Publishing an advertisement about the provision of prostitution services by an adult is punishable by three years or a fine, doubled for a corporation (s. 205C). Publishing an offer to engage in prostitution carries three years (s. 205D), and information about prostitution services by a minor five years (s. 205A). Publication for a legitimate purpose, such as fair reporting, is a defence (s. 214B).[2] |
| Online platforms and ad sites | Illegal Criminal offence | Under the 2017 Powers for the Prevention of Offences through an Internet Site Law, a district court judge may, on a prosecutor's application, order access to a website restricted, its listing in search services blocked, or, where hosted in Israel, its removal, if this is essential to stop offences that include inducing prostitution and publishing prostitution advertisements (ss. 202, 205A, 205C(a), 205D).[2][6] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence. The 2019 law punishes only the consumer, and the Penal Law's prostitution chapter targets third parties: those who live on the earnings, induce, keep or rent out a place, or advertise.[1][2]
Note. Statutes read on Hebrew Wikisource, which transcribes the official texts; the Knesset's own portal (fs.knesset.gov.il) was geo-blocked from where this was checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Consuming a sexual act of prostitution, including an attempt, or being in a place used wholly or partly for prostitution in order to consume it, is an administrative offence with a fixed fine of 2,000 shekels, doubled for a repeat offence. A person in a place used mainly for prostitution is presumed to be there for that purpose unless shown otherwise. Regulations allow an educational programme instead of the fine.[1][2][4]
The offence is set by section 2 of the 2019 law with a fine under section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law, and made an administrative offence by section 3. Consuming prostitution from a minor is a separate crime punishable by five years (Penal Law s. 203C).
The law is a temporary provision. Section 8, as amended in 2025, keeps it in force until 10 July 2030 and requires a study with recommendations on extension to reach the Knesset Constitution Committee no later than a year before expiry. A government-commissioned evaluation counted 5,091 fines from the start of enforcement to the end of 2023, 89% of them for being in a place of prostitution rather than for consumption itself.
Note. Read on Hebrew Wikisource; the official Knesset text was geo-blocked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Keeping or managing a place, including a vehicle or vessel, for prostitution is punishable by five years (Penal Law s. 204). Renting out a place knowing it will be used for prostitution, or not ending the lease once known, is punishable by six months (s. 205).[2][5]
The State Comptroller reported in 2026 that police closed 13 brothels in 2024 despite information on more than 1,300 suspected addresses, and 60 in total from 2022 to 2025.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Living wholly or partly on the earnings of a person engaged in prostitution, or knowingly receiving payment for another's act of prostitution, is punishable by five years (s. 199). Bringing a person to an act of prostitution carries five years (s. 201) and bringing a person to engage in prostitution seven years (s. 202), with up to 16 years where force, threats or deceit are used (s. 203).[2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Publishing an advertisement about the provision of prostitution services by an adult is punishable by three years or a fine, doubled for a corporation (s. 205C). Publishing an offer to engage in prostitution carries three years (s. 205D), and information about prostitution services by a minor five years (s. 205A). Publication for a legitimate purpose, such as fair reporting, is a defence (s. 214B).[2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Online platforms and ad sites
Under the 2017 Powers for the Prevention of Offences through an Internet Site Law, a district court judge may, on a prosecutor's application, order access to a website restricted, its listing in search services blocked, or, where hosted in Israel, its removal, if this is essential to stop offences that include inducing prostitution and publishing prostitution advertisements (ss. 202, 205A, 205C(a), 205D).[2][6]
Orders should be limited, as far as possible, to the part of a site used for the offence (s. 5(b)). The court weighs harm to the public, access to information, internet providers and users' privacy (s. 5(a)). Operators publishing prostitution advertisements are themselves exposed to s. 205C.
Note. How often such orders have been sought against prostitution-advertising sites was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| חוק איסור צריכת זנות (הוראת שעה ותיקון חקיקה), התשע״ט–2019 Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Law (Temporary Provision and Legislative Amendment), 5779-2019 ss. 1–9 | Makes consuming prostitution, or being in a place of prostitution to do so, an administrative offence with a 2,000-shekel fine; temporary provision in force until 10 July 2030.[1] | 10 July 2020 |
| חוק העונשין, התשל״ז–1977 Penal Law, 5737-1977 ss. 199–205D · s. 214B | Chapter 8, article 10 (prostitution and obscenity) covers pimping, inducing, brothels, renting premises and advertising prostitution.[2] | |
| חוק סמכויות לשם מניעת ביצוע עבירות באמצעות אתר אינטרנט, התשע״ז–2017 Powers for the Prevention of Offences through an Internet Site Law, 5777-2017 ss. 1–5 | Lets district courts order websites used for prostitution-related offences to be blocked, de-listed or removed.[6] |
Pending and under review
Stalled · updated 2025
Bill to make the prohibition on consuming prostitution permanent
A government bill to turn the temporary prohibition into permanent law, supported by MKs from 12 parties, was blocked in the Knesset Constitution Committee in 2025; the Knesset instead extended the temporary provision for five years.[1][3]
Next, 10 July 2029: Statutory deadline for the study and recommendations on extending the law, one year before it expires on 10 July 2030
In numbers
Police data from the State Comptroller's 2026 report, as reported by Ynet; the report itself was not opened.
Israel Police administrative data analysed in the government-commissioned evaluation; 97% were issued by three police stations.
Self-report surveys in the evaluation study; the authors caution that COVID-19 and the war make the law's effect hard to isolate.
Timeline
- 31 December 2018The Knesset passes the Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Law as a temporary provision.[1]
- 10 January 2019The law is published in Sefer HaChukim, with entry into force 18 months later.[1]
- 10 July 2020The prohibition on consuming prostitution enters into force; police enforcement begins in practice in 2021.[1][4]
- December 2024The government-commissioned evaluation by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute reports uneven enforcement concentrated in three police stations.[4]
- 2025The Knesset extends the temporary provision until 10 July 2030 after a bill to make it permanent is blocked in committee.[1][3]
- July 2026The State Comptroller reports that enforcement of the consumption ban and against brothels is insufficient.[5]
Sources
- חוק איסור צריכת זנות (הוראת שעה ותיקון חקיקה), התשע״ט–2019 (Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Law (Temporary Provision and Legislative Amendment), 5779-2019 (Sefer HaChukim 5779 p. 235, as amended 5785)). Hebrew Wikisource (transcription of the official text), 10 January 2019. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- חוק העונשין, התשל״ז–1977 (Penal Law, 5737-1977). Hebrew Wikisource (transcription of the official text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- About Trafficking and Prostitution in Israel. Task Force on Human Trafficking and Prostitution (TFHT). ngo · accessed 30 October 2026
- Implementing the Prohibition of Prostitution Consumption Law: Evaluation Study Report (RR-025-24). Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute (commissioned by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs), December 2024. academic · accessed 30 October 2026
- Israel failing to crack down on prostitution clients and brothels. Ynet News, July 2026. news · accessed 30 October 2026
- חוק סמכויות לשם מניעת ביצוע עבירות באמצעות אתר אינטרנט, התשע״ז–2017 (Powers for the Prevention of Offences through an Internet Site Law, 5777-2017). Hebrew Wikisource (transcription of the official text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026