Parents of a Missing Child Denied the Right to a Protest Tent in Jerusalem
On September 17, 2026, ACRI filed a petition with the Jerusalem District Court for Administrative Affairs on behalf of Tesfaye and Benchi Kassau, the parents of Haymanot Kassau, demanding that the family be permitted to set up a protest tent for one month near the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. The parents want to set up the protest tent as part of their ongoing efforts to find their daughter, who disappeared about two and a half years ago. Their appeals to the Municipality requesting permission to set up the tent near various government institutions, in locations where numerous protest tents have been set up over the years, were repeatedly denied, on the grounds that tents erected for extended periods could create sanitation, safety, and accessibility issues and interfere with the use of public space.
The petition argues that freedom of protest is a fundamental constitutional right, and areas near government institutions are key locations for exercising this right. The fact that a protest may interfere with daily life is not sufficient grounds for preventing it. While the Municipality may regulate the placement of protest installations, including tents, it must do so while safeguarding freedom of expression and the right to protest.
The Jerusalem Municipality’s decision does not identify any specific trouble or danger that the proposed tent is expected to create, but rather relies on general considerations and a blanket municipal policy. It is an infringement on the parents’ right to protest and make their voices heard before decisionmakers, and only adds to their unimaginable pain as they fight to uncover the fate of their daughter.
Administrative Petition 50435-09-26 Kassau v. Jerusalem Municipality
Attorneys: Oded Feller, Eden Gilad
The petition, September 17, 2026
