Herzl and Merav Hajaj, the parents of Lt. Shir Hajaj, who was murdered in a 2017 terrorist attack in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of Jerusalem, filed a complaint with the Israel Police against a number of senior officials in the Population and Immigration Authority.
The complaint was submitted following serious suspicions that thousands of Palestinian Authority Arabs were granted status in Israel in violation of the law, while completely ignoring required security checks.
Among the officials named in the complaint are the Director-General of the Population Authority, senior officials in the legal department, and officials in the population office in eastern Jerusalem.
The couple decided to file the complaint after a heated Knesset discussion in which representatives of the Population Authority admitted that since the "Shir Hajaj Law" took effect in July 2025, thousands of residency and status permits had been granted to residents of the Palestinian Authority without checking their family connections to individuals involved in terrorism.
The Shir Hajaj Law, promoted by MK Amit Halevi, was enacted to prevent a situation in which the family members of terrorists who murdered Jews would receive status in Israel through court rulings. The family now claims that government officials are bypassing the law and continuing to grant residency rights to PA Arabs without proper screening.
The complaint alleges serious criminal offenses including fraud and breach of trust, failure to fulfill a duty, and aiding illegal residence in Israel.
"We were forced to pass this law with the blood of our daughter," Herzl and Merav Hajaj said. "It is unacceptable that the Knesset legislates and the bureaucracy decides to ignore it completely. This is a severe blow to the security of Israel’s citizens and to Shir’s memory. We expect the police to investigate and prosecute those who approved these requests behind closed doors."
MK Amit Halevi added: "Those who call themselves ‘gatekeepers’ allowed thousands of Palestinians to cross the gate and endanger Israeli citizens. This complaint must be thoroughly investigated. Officials cannot simply ignore the law."