If Arik Diamant knows about Svetlana, why doesn't he tell the police? why doesn't he do something to help instead of writing a disturbing article about it? And for all those people who wrote in and said Jewish men shouldn't go to hookers because it doesn't please god should go look and see how many orthodox men are hanging round where the hookers hang out. They are as equally repulsive as the Misha's of this world. Something MUST be done to help these women.

Can you produce any credible evidence, i.e. from an authoritative study which applies scientific method, to support two implicit assumptions you are making, that (1) all or even most of the sex workers (prostitutes) who work in brothels in Israel (or anywhere else for that matter) work under the conditions of slavery that you describe? (2) all or even most female sex workers were sexually abused as children? Until you can, your assertions amount to lies and smears against men which, if targeted specifically against Jews or blacks, would be universally condemned as racist bigotry. Alarm bells would ring because the history of white imperialism, black slavery and Nazi Germany is behind us. But the history of feminist fascism and persecution is too close and recent, and the worst is probably still in front of us; that's why we have yet to recognise it creeping up, and probably won't do so until it's too late (if it isn't too late already). Exactly as it happened in Nazi Germany. Today, even human rights organisations seemingly don't notice - or don't care - about their own baseless propoganda spouting offensive, vitriolic slander against the male half of the human race. The insinuation being made here is that the average 'John' is responsible for sustaining white female slavery, and for sexually abusing his own children or capitalising on the consequences of another 'John' having done so. Slavery by any other name is still slavery, and unacceptable. But you are conflating two issues here: the morality or otherwise of (1) men (and occasionally women) paying for sexual services and (2) the conditions under which women and girls (and occasionally men and boys) provide those services. The consumer of any service, sexual or otherwise, generally has little or no influence over the conditions in which workers provide that service. Moreover, as long as brothels remain illegal and underground, it is almost impossible to acquire that information. Therefore, I submit that the moral issue here does not arise at the point of demand in the commercial sex industry, but at the point of supply. I am sick and tired of being hectored by the conservative-feminist lobby, and its male apologistis, about my legitimate needs as a human male being off-limits. There are, broadly, two strategies for tackling sex slavery. You could attack the demand side of the equation: go on yet another feminist rampage, demonising men and campaigning to get tougher on their use of commercial sex services. Or you could attack the supply side, for example with a Marshall Plan for eastern Europe to counter the appalling poverty which creates the conditions for sex slaves to be sourced from that region. And, how about campaigning to legalise and legitimise the sex industry. Every legitimate industry has its share of cowboys and robber-barons; but they are far fewer in number than they would be if those industries were pushed underground. Ask any American historian about alcohol prohibition in the 1930s. Legalisation = ethical standards, worker's rights and public accountability. All former campaigns against slavery were directed against the slavemasters and their political apologists. If anybody had suggested to Wilberforce that the mass of ordinary consumers should be condemned and persecuted for assisting slavery, he would have thought they were stark raving mad. And it doesn't get much more bonkers than human rights organisations waging a war against half the human race in the name of the other half.

Why isn't there an International Men's Day?

In my original message, I said: "Legalisation = ethical standards, workers' rights and public accountability". This was an error. They certainly do not automatically equate; but it is equally certain that, without legalisation, those objectives could not possibly be achieved. In Talkback #15, Lisa says she researched legalisation in the Netherlands and discovered that workers' exploitation and illegal practices occur within the legal sector; and an illegal sector still exists. There is nothing remarkable about this: the same is true of every other industry. But nobody in their right mind would argue that any other legal industry should be criminalised in its entirety, in order to clamp down on the crooks and cowboys. The success of legalisation depends on strong and active trade unions and adequate monitoring and policing of ethical rules and standards. Research is an essential part of the monitoring process. I'll wager Lisa had a much harder time trying to get information about the illegal sector in the Netherlands than the legal sector. And if we were being intellectually consistent with the principle of blaming the consumer, we could tell another heart-rending story. We could tell a story about an 8-year-old boy who works in a sweat shop in South-East Asia, making sex toys, mostly for the pleasure of western women. Then we could hold those women responsible for the exploitation of young children for a commercial sexual purpose. But, don't expect intellectual consistency from the conservative-feminist orthodoxy; expect only double standards.

Women are tricked into being sex slaves. The wall should never have come down because now russia is ruled by mafia and women who use to be equal to men and educated are forced to be worthless sad objects. Its another way US has f'ed up another country.

THIS ARTICLE SHOWS THE TRUE FACE OF A HOLLY LAND

To the person who condemned Svetlana for being a whore, on the basis that they had been abused as well: Just because YOU had an experience with child abuse and came out of it okay doesn't mean that everyone else's situation will turn out the same. Every instance of abuse is unique and affects each victim in different ways. Many women like Svetlana are extremely uneducated and come from backgrounds in which they have known nothing other than abuse. Yet you, someone who is wealthy enough to have access to a computer, educated enough to know how to type and spell and no doubt has access to professional help, mentors, television and books has the gall to say that she knew what she was getting into? That comment displays ignorance and ignorance only. I am also a victim of sexual abuse, but can fully acknowledge that I have had a far easier time dealing with in it in a society that encourages seeking counscelling, has television shows and books that teach that you do not HAVE to be hurt. Our society is far more supportive on this matter than many of the poorer nations. Did you even stop to think that, perhaps, the woman portrayed in this article did not have the same luxuries that we have? Did you think that perhaps she had no choice reguarding whether or not she went to Egypt? Is it honestly believable that a woman in this situation would have known exactly what was in her future, and furthermore would have CHOSEN to take this path? Any person, especially one who can personally relate to the pain and struggle of sexual abuse, should be able to display more understanding and empathy than some of these replies exemplify.

I was outraged after reading Arik Diamant's article about Svetlana from 03.08.06. NOBODY should have to live like Svetlana, especially this day in age of the "civilized world". How could anybody of any concience could put money in this Misha's pocket and help him exploit young women like this. I have always admired and respected the Israeli's, but apparently certain individuals are no better than any of the other scumbags in this world, like Misha. I would like to help someone get out of this hellish existence by getting her out of there and bringing her to the US, where she can be safe and secure. Have you heard of anyone successfully doing this?

In the Netherlands, where brothels are fully legal, some escort services such as Women of the World (womenoftheworld.nl) are entirely owned and operated by ONLY women. In fact, in the Netherlands, the prostitutes even have a worker's union called the Red Thread, named after Rechav, the only person that the Almighty said should be spared from the slaughter at Jericho. A real feminist would support fully legalizing all prostitution.