Overview
- President Isaac Herzog met the girl’s family at the President’s Residence and said Shin Bet chief David Zini confirmed the agency has joined the investigation in cooperation with the Israel Police.
- Officials described Shin Bet’s role as adding intelligence and technical resources to efforts to locate the nine-year-old who disappeared in 2024.
- The family has campaigned publicly for answers for about two and a half years and says earlier investigative work may have been hampered by language barriers and discrimination.
- Coverage differs on who requested Shin Bet’s involvement, with official remarks citing a police request while some reports and the family frame the step as answering the family’s calls for higher-level intervention.
- The Shin Bet’s involvement raises public attention and could change the pace and tools of the probe, while the case highlights long-running concerns in the Ethiopian-Israeli community about how authorities handle missing-person investigations.