Namibian Arrests Mistakenly Identified as Israeli Mother and Daughter
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Israeli authorities confirmed Wednesday that the mother and daughter arrested in Namibia are not Mali and Liel Yahalomi, who fled Israel two months ago. The arrested individuals are reportedly an Iranian mother and daughter found with forged Israeli passports. A local Chabad emissary identified the detainees and stated they did not speak Hebrew, contradicting initial claims of being Israeli. The Yahalomi pair were believed to be in South America.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Namibian arrests were mistakenly identified as Israeli mother and daughter Mali and Liel Yahalomi.
- The arrested individuals are reportedly an Iranian mother and her 14-year-old daughter.
- The women were apprehended with forged Israeli passports and claimed to be Israeli.
- A Chabad emissary in Namibia identified the detainees as not being the Yahalomis.
- The Iranian mother and daughter spoke Persian and some English, but no Hebrew.
Authorities in Israel confirmed Wednesday that the mother and daughter arrested in Namibia were not Mali and Liel Yahalomi, who fled Israel two months ago and were believed to be in South America. The arrested individuals are reportedly an Iranian mother and daughter, though their identities have not been definitively confirmed. The mistaken identification began when the two women, apprehended with forged passports, claimed to be Israeli during their interrogation. Rabbi Yosef Rahimi, a Chabad emissary in Namibia, visited the police station and identified the detainees as not being Mali and Liel Yahalomi. "I brought food and water to the mother and daughter thinking it was Liel and Mali," Rahimi told "Mako." "I arrived at the police station and it turns out it's not them. I saw them physically, it's not them."
Rabbi Rahimi further explained that the arrested individuals are a 14-year-old girl and her mother, around 40 years old, who speak some English and Persian but no Hebrew. He noted that the local police had labeled them as "Israeli citizens" because they were in possession of fake Israeli passports. The Yahalomi mother and daughter had previously fled Israel and were thought to be in South America.
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