National campaign launched for missing girl Hemanot Kaso, with 1 million shekels reward

Israel’s Committee on Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs announced a new nationwide billboard and digital campaign to raise awareness about the disappearance of Hemanot Kaso, along with a 1 million shekel reward for information leading to her discovery. The committee, chaired by MK Gilad Kariv, held a follow-up hearing on Monday and said the campaign began the same day after its demand for broader public outreach.

The publicity effort is being led by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency. Billboards are to go up in major cities within hours, with a particular focus on Safed and northern Israel, and a digital campaign is scheduled to launch on the 26th to widen public exposure.

Ministry spokesman Dani Adno Ababa said the Jewish Agency put up 150,000 shekels and the family pledged an additional 850,000 shekels, bringing the total reward to 1 million shekels for information that helps find her. Hemanot’s father, Tesfai Kaso, thanked those involved and said it has already been two and a half years since his daughter disappeared. He called for cooperation from all relevant government bodies and security agencies, including the Shin Bet, saying the family wants to return to normal life and “only wants to see our girl back home.”

Titi Aynau, representing the public diplomacy staff, said the continued hearings were important and argued that the lack of any concrete lead requires broad advertising across the country. Kariv said another follow-up meeting will be held in July to review whether to extend the campaign and pursue additional summer advertising efforts. In parallel, the committee is working with the Education Ministry to raise awareness in schools, while the ministry said its Psychological Counseling Service is examining the proposal to build an age-appropriate plan for teachers and students.