Israeli Mother and Daughter Who Vanished in Vienna Return Home

Mali and Liel Yalomi, an Israeli mother and daughter who disappeared in Vienna in August 2026, returned to Israel on Wednesday, October 7, arriving at Ben Gurion Airport on an Israir flight from Athens. The family stated, "They have returned to Israel to recover." The women, wearing matching jackets, did not speak to reporters, with Mali covering her face with a baseball cap visor. They exited the terminal holding hands. Police did not detain them at the airport, as there are no suspicions of criminal activity against them. Their lawyer told journalists, "They are not enemies of the people. All they want is to come home and rest from everything they have been through." Mali's brother, Moshe, added, "We are happy they are back. Now let us be with each other, respect our privacy."

Earlier reports that Mali and Liel had been detained in Namibia were incorrect. Those detained were two Iranian women posing as Israelis, suspected of using forged passports. Rabbi Yosef Rahimi, a Chabad envoy in Africa, visited the detained women and discovered they were Iranian, also a mother and daughter, who claimed to be from Israel. The Yalomi women had previously made headlines after their disappearance from Vienna in August 2026, leading to fears of abduction or murder. They were found a week later on a bus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and interviewed by an Israeli police representative before being released. It was determined they had fled Israel and severed contact with their family voluntarily, apparently due to financial difficulties.

The 50-year-old Mali and her 23-year-old daughter Liel vanished from Vienna on August 7, 2026. After contacting relatives before Shabbat, they stopped responding. The family reported them missing on August 9, fearing for their lives and not ruling out a terrorist attack. The search involved Israeli police units, intelligence, and international agencies like Europol and Interpol. Investigators traced their route from Vienna through Germany to South America. They had purchased mobile phones in the Czech Republic without presenting passports. After leaving Vienna, the mother and daughter attempted to create the impression they were still in the city. They were found on August 14 in Argentina, where they were met by Israeli police representative Walter Kohan and Argentinian authorities. Police concluded their disappearance was planned and linked to personal financial circumstances. They were released as there were no threats to their lives or grounds for criminal suspicion. From Argentina, they intended to travel to another country, but eventually arrived in Greece before returning to Israel.