Mother and Daughter Who Disappeared Two Months Ago Return to Israel
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Mali and Lial Yahalomi, an Israeli mother and daughter who disappeared two months ago, returned to Israel on Wednesday afternoon, landing at Ben Gurion Airport after being located in South America. They were met by media but declined to comment, with their lawyer urging the public to respect their privacy. The family stated the return was for recovery and to move past the incident. The disappearance had triggered a global search and was followed by mistaken reports of their arrest in Namibia.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Mother and daughter Mali and Lial Yahalomi returned to Israel on Wednesday after disappearing two months ago.
- The pair were located in South America and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on a flight from Athens.
- They refused to speak to the media upon arrival, with their lawyer asking for privacy.
- Their disappearance in August from Vienna had triggered a large-scale international search.
- False reports had claimed they were arrested in Namibia, but those arrested were Iranian nationals.
Mali and Lial Yahalomi, the mother and daughter who disappeared two months ago and were located in South America, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday afternoon, ending a dramatic saga. The two arrived on a flight from Athens, Greece, landing around 4:30 PM. They were met by numerous journalists and photographers but refused to speak to the media, covering their faces with sun hats and wearing identical clothing. They quickly entered a waiting car, avoiding eye contact with the press.
Their lawyer, Shani Ben Shoshan, addressed the reporters, stating, "These people have been through a lot. I'm getting messages as if they are enemies of the state. I ask that you let them return home. They are not enemies, they did not steal, murder, or do anything. Respect that. Today is October 7th, let's focus on that."
The family stated that the two returned to Israel to recover and "put the incident behind them." Moshe Yahalomi, Mali's brother, had previously mentioned that while the family knew of their intention to return, they did not know the exact date. He also expressed appreciation for the public's support but stated, "We are anonymous people and the situation is difficult for us. We just want to return to our peace."
The return comes after false reports that the two had been arrested in Namibia on suspicion of using forged passports. It was later clarified that the arrested individuals were two Iranian women, not the Yahalomi mother and daughter. A Chabad emissary in Namibia, Rabbi Yosef Rahimi, explained that he was initially informed of the arrest of "two Israelis" but upon seeing them, realized they were Iranian.
Mali and Lial Yahalomi were declared missing in August after disappearing in Vienna, Austria. The investigation revealed that Mali had meticulously planned their disappearance for over a year, withdrawing her pension funds to finance their trip to South America. Phone correspondence indicated Lial willingly joined her mother, writing, "I will go with you anywhere." The two also took steps to avoid detection, such as deleting apps from their phones.
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