Sisters Seek Privacy After Media Frenzy Following Their Return to Israel

Mali and Lial Yahalomi have issued their first public statement since returning to Israel two months ago, following an intense period of public concern over their disappearance and subsequent discovery in Argentina. The sisters stated they are going through a difficult time and never sought the attention or worry their case generated. They are requesting compassion, time, and quiet to rebuild their lives and will share their story when they feel emotionally ready.

Their statement comes after the Director of the Privacy Protection Authority at the Ministry of Justice, Adv. Galaad Semama, instructed the Police Commissioner and the Internal Privacy Supervisor to investigate potential privacy violations. This follows the transfer of videos and sensitive personal information about the sisters from the police to the media after they were located in August.

Semama detailed that videos documented the sisters in a vulnerable state during their discovery on a bus in Buenos Aires and their questioning by police. Sensitive personal details from the investigation, including private correspondence, AI search queries, financial information, location data, and their expected arrival in Israel, were also exposed. Semama indicated that the source of this information, at least partially, was the Israel Police.

The investigation will examine how these videos and personal details reached the media, allegedly in violation of police procedures, and review the criteria considered by the police before authorizing their publication. The Authority also requested systemic conclusions and lessons learned regarding privacy protection when sharing information with the media in similar incidents.

Semama emphasized that while publicizing the safe return of missing persons is important, publishing vulnerable videos and personal details after they have been found is problematic. He stated that these publications, apparently originating from the police investigation, severely harmed their privacy without legitimate justification and seemingly against police regulations. The Israel Police must conduct a thorough investigation into how the information leaked and draw necessary lessons to ensure citizens' basic right to privacy is not compromised in such events.

Mali and Lial Yahalomi returned to Israel last Wednesday, approximately two months after their disappearance. They were apprehended in Nimbya, southwestern Africa, attempting to cross a border using forged Hungarian passports. It was later revealed they were Iranian nationals who had been posing as Israelis. The sisters had been missing for about a week before being found on a bus in Buenos Aires on August 14. Reports suggest they planned their escape for months, with one daughter allegedly helping construct a cover story of a surprise trip to avoid being found.