Shin Bet Chief to Meet Family of Missing Girl Following MK Lapid's Appeal

The head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, is working to arrange a meeting with the family of Haimnot Kassao, a girl who disappeared in February 2024 from a reception center in Safed. This follows an urgent appeal from Member of Knesset Yair Lapid.

In his letter to Zini, Lapid described the family's "absolute uncertainty and incomprehensible daily reality" over the past two and a half years since Haimnot vanished. He acknowledged the Shin Bet's assistance to the Israel Police in the case but stated that Haimnot's parents feel time is running out and that communication with investigators is insufficient. Lapid emphasized the need for the Shin Bet's intelligence and technological capabilities to "break the deadlock."

Lapid urged Zini to schedule a meeting as soon as possible, calling it a "moral and national duty of the highest order." He believes such a meeting would not only send a message of mutual responsibility but also allow the parents to "voice their cry directly" to the Shin Bet chief and receive an updated assessment of the search efforts.

President Isaac Herzog had previously met with the Kassao family, urging, "Let us all enlist to find Haimnot." Haimnot's sister, Yaros, expressed hope that "our community and our people will understand what the family is going through."