Full Breakdown
Family’s Bid for a Month-Long Protest Camp Near Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The parents of nine-year-old Haymanot Kasau, who vanished from an absorption centre in Safed on February 25, 2024, asked the Jerusalem District Court on September 17 to hear a challenge to the municipality’s refusal to permit a month-long protest camp. The family sought to set up the encampment from September 23 through October 22 at the intersection of Zusman and Kaplan streets, adjacent to the Prime Minister’s Office and the government complex. The municipality rejected the request on September 16, citing generic concerns about sanitation, safety and accessibility for extended-duration tents.
Background & Context
Haymanot’s disappearance remains unsolved after more than two and a half years of searches involving police, rescue units, dogs and volunteers. The investigation was transferred to the police’s Lahav 433 national crime unit in December 2025, and in February 2026 the attorney-general authorized limited assistance from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). President Isaac Herzog met the family on August 25, 2026, after the Shin Bet confirmed it was conducting operations in support of the police-led probe. The family argues that the police-led effort has yielded no answers and demands that the Shin Bet assume full responsibility for the case.
Official Statements & Responses
- Deputy Mayor Yossi Havilio visited the family’s temporary Sukkot booth in Agranat Square and said he would try to help keep it after the holiday.
- Police: After a recent meeting with the family, police officials said the investigation remained a top priority and that all necessary steps were being taken, though they could not disclose operational details.
- President Isaac Herzog: In August 2026, he noted that the Shin Bet had begun assisting the investigation.
Criticism & Opposition
Represented by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Tesfaye Kasau and Banchi Kasau contend that the municipality’s blanket refusal ignores the need for an individualized assessment of protest sites, especially when the protest targets national decision-makers.
Verbatim Quote
- “I am very sad and disappointed,” — Tesfaye Kasau
The family’s campaign continues, bolstered by a national publicity drive launched in June 2026 and a NIS 1 million reward for information leading to Haymanot’s whereabouts, yet no publicly confirmed breakthrough has emerged.
