Israeli Mother and Daughter Returning Home After Two-Month Disappearance

An Israeli mother and daughter, previously reported missing for two months, are en route back to Israel after a mix-up in Namibia involving two Iranian women who had impersonated them. The two Iranian women were arrested in Namibia on suspicion of possessing fake passports, but police later clarified they were not the Yahalomi mother and daughter. The Yahalomi pair departed Athens on a flight to Israel on Wednesday and are not expected to be detained upon arrival.

Chabad Rabbi Yosef Rahimi, active in Africa, explained the identity confusion occurred when he visited the arrested women in Namibia. "We received a report from the police. I went to visit them with breakfast, and it turned out they were not them. They are Iranian, a mother and daughter. During their interrogation, they claimed to be from Israel," Rahimi stated.

Mali and Layal Yahalomi first made headlines in August after disappearing in Europe, sparking fears of a serious security incident. They were found about a week later inside a bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, following intense Israeli concern for their safety. After being questioned by an Israeli police representative in South America, who found no criminal suspicion, they were released to continue their journey.

It is believed their disappearance stemmed from financial difficulties. Their journey began not in Vienna as initially thought, but in the Czech Republic, where phones can be purchased without showing a passport. They are thought to have traveled from there to Vienna, where they may have filmed videos for family, sending them later from another country, likely Germany, to create a false impression of their location. From Germany, they traveled to Argentina, where they were found and questioned. Their journey was not expected to end in Buenos Aires, with further undisclosed travel planned. Now, however, they are heading back to Israel, approximately two months after their disappearance.