Family of Missing Girl Haimanot Kassao Launches New Awareness Campaign

Nine hundred and sixty-nine days after the disappearance of 9-year-old Haimanot Kassao from Safed, her family's struggle for her return continues. A new video released by the campaign to bring her home uses artificial intelligence to highlight perceived disparities in public and systemic attention to her case. The video contrasts an AI-generated image of a blonde girl with Kassao's own photograph, prompting questions about whether her background influenced the handling of her disappearance.

The campaign, active on social media under the handle "Bringing Haimanot Home," questions whether a different child's ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or parental resources would have led to a more vigorous investigation. They argue that the circumstances of Kassao's disappearance and alleged investigative failures warrant public concern and are demanding that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) take over the case, citing its technological and intelligence capabilities.

Haimanot Kassao vanished on February 25, 2024, from a reception center in Safed where she lived with her family. She was last seen distributing election flyers with friends at the center. Extensive searches involving police, rescue teams, volunteers, and special units have yielded no significant breakthroughs.

The Hashomer Hatzair movement has announced its support for the family and joined the campaign. The movement's Secretary General, Roni Givoni Lazar, visited the protest tent established by Kassao's family in Jerusalem to offer support and ensure their voices are heard. The movement urged the public to visit the tent and support the family.

The family and campaign activists continue their efforts to keep Haimanot's disappearance in the public eye, hoping for new information that will lead to her discovery. Their central demand remains a change in how the case is handled and intensified efforts to locate and return the child home.