Parents of missing Haymanot Kasau asked Jerusalem District Court Monday to expedite their challenge to the city’s refusal of a month-long protest camp near the Prime Minister’s Office. They want the Shin Bet to take over the open investigation; the case is pending.
Tesfaye and Banchi Kasau sought permission for a camp from Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 at Zusman and Kaplan streets, near the government complex. Jerusalem rejected the Sept. 15 application a day later, citing general sanitation, safety and accessibility concerns tied to long-running encampments; it said a month-long continuous presence differs from a short protest. The parents argue the city identified no site-specific danger and should consider safeguards. The city asked to dismiss the case after they erected a Sukkot booth beside an existing camp; they say the booth is separate and will be dismantled after the holiday.
Haymanot, nine, disappeared from her family’s Safed absorption center on Feb. 25, 2024; she was last recorded that evening distributing local-election leaflets with friends near the center. Police transferred the open case to Lahav 433 in December 2025. In February, the attorney general authorized exceptional Shin Bet help with certain investigative measures; the agency later confirmed operations supporting the police-led investigation. Police say the case remains a top priority but will not disclose investigative steps. A NIS 1 million reward was announced in June, with no publicly confirmed breakthrough.
