Haymanut Kasau’s family petitions court to allow protest tent near PMO
ACRI attorneys argued that the Jerusalem Municipality rejected the protest tent request on general concerns rather than specific risks, failing to balance public interests with protest rights.
The Kasau family, backed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, sought court approval to place a protest tent near the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem's Government Complex from September to October 2026, a spokesperson announced Friday. The family aims to draw attention to the disappearance of their 9-year-old daughter, Haymanut Kasau, who vanished from a Tzfat absorption center on February 25, 2024, and has not been found since.Haymanut's parents, Tesfaya and Benchi Kasau, have been vocal advocates for her search, organizing protests outside relevant offices and marching in Tel Aviv.
They have repeatedly applied to the Jerusalem Municipality for permission to erect a protest tent near government buildings. However, the municipality has consistently denied their requests, citing concerns over sanitation, safety, accessibility, and public use of the area.The municipality's legal adviser rejected ACRI's application on Wednesday, arguing that long-term protest tents could cause sanitation, safety, and accessibility issues and disrupt public access to the space.
Attorneys Oded Feller and Eden Gilad, representing the family, contended that the municipality's decision was based on broad policy rather than specific dangers associated with the proposed tent. They emphasized that freedom of protest is a fundamental constitutional right and that areas near government centers are crucial for exercising this right.
The petition argued that the municipality failed to adequately balance public interests with the Kasaus' right to protest and seek answers from decision-makers. The attorneys stated that restricting freedom of protest is only acceptable if there is a high probability of severe harm to public order or protected interests, which was not the case in this instance.
Consequently, the municipality must approve the request based on its merits, allowing the family to exercise their right to protest precisely at the location they chose.
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