Herzl and Meirav Hajjaj, the parents of IDF officer Lieutenant Shir Hajjaj, who was murdered in the attack at the Hanatziv Palace, filed a complaint with the Israel Police yesterday against senior officials at the Population and Immigration Authority at the Ministry of the Interior - on suspicion of granting status in Israel, contrary to the law.
The complaint was filed against Population and Immigration Authority Director General Harel Goldberg, Tehila Erel from the Authority's legal bureau, and Hagit Weiss Tzur, director of the Population Bureau in East Jerusalem.
The background for filing the complaint is data that was revealed this week in a discussion in the Knesset's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Home Affairs.
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During the discussion, representatives of the Population and Immigration Authority admitted that since the law came into effect in July 2025, thousands of residence and status permits in Israel have been issued to residents of the Palestinian Authority, in complete disregard of the law and without any examination of their family ties to those involved in terrorism.
'The "Shir Hajaj Law" was enacted following a long struggle by the Hajaj family, after it became clear after the murder of their daughter Shir Hajaj that relatives of the terrorist who carried out the attack had been granted status in Israel.
The state sought to revoke the status and the Court of Appeals accepted its position, but the District Court reversed the decision and restored their status time and time again. Following the case, MK Amit Halevi enacted the "Shir Hajaj Law," which was intended to prevent granting status in Israel to relatives of terrorists.
According to Herzl and Meirav, the data revealed in the Knesset raises suspicion that elements of the Population and Immigration Authority continue to grant permits and status in Israel without performing the security checks required by law, thereby effectively circumventing the provisions of the law enacted after their daughter's murder.
The complaint alleges that this conduct may constitute criminal offenses, including fraud and breach of trust by a public servant, failure to fulfill a duty imposed on a public servant, and assistance in entering or staying in Israel illegally.
The bereaved parents are asking the Israel Police to launch a full and immediate criminal investigation, to find out who approved the applications in violation of the law and what the scope of the approvals were - and to prosecute those responsible for this.
Herzl and Meirav Hajjaj: ’We were forced to enact this law with our daughter’s blood. The law is intended to prevent a situation in which relatives of terrorists receive status in the State of Israel. If it turns out that elements in the system are simply ignoring the law and continuing to grant status without carrying out the checks required by the law, this is a serious violation of the security of Israeli citizens and of Shir’s memory.
""It is not possible for the Knesset to enact a law and the bureaucracy to decide not to implement it. We expect the Israel Police to investigate the matter in depth and prosecute those responsible for this.".
MK Amit Halevi: "The complaint filed by Herzl and Meirav Hajjaj with the police must be investigated to the fullest. It is unthinkable that legal advisors and officials would behave like the last of the criminals and flout the law.".
""This case is especially serious when those who define themselves as 'gatekeepers' have allowed thousands of Palestinians to cross the threshold, enter Israel illegally, and directly endanger Israeli citizens, as has been proven at a terrible cost in blood over the years.".
