Israeli Women Found in Buenos Aires Say They Left Israel to Disconnect from Family and Country

Mali and Liel Yahalomi were located by Israeli police representatives in Buenos Aires after disappearing during their stay in Europe. The two women were found traveling on a bus in the city, which was stopped by undercover local police. Walter Kogan, an Israeli police intelligence officer in South America, boarded the bus and spoke with them in Hebrew, surprising the women far from Israel.

During a brief questioning, Mali and Liel explained that they chose to leave Israel voluntarily to disconnect from their family and the country. They denied any threats, blackmail, or financial debts as reasons for their disappearance, stating simply that they wanted to leave everything behind. Despite their answers, Israeli police remained uncertain about the full motive behind their planned disappearance but were limited by legal restrictions abroad and could not conduct a full investigation.

Since the women are adults, not suspects or wanted for any criminal offense, and confirmed their voluntary departure, the police allowed them to continue their journey. The case began when Mali and Liel missed their scheduled return flight from Prague to Israel last Tuesday, prompting concern from their family and Israeli authorities. The Israeli consulate in Vienna released their photos to the public to aid in locating them.

Investigations revealed that the women had prepared their disappearance in advance, withdrawing about 14,000 euros in cash before leaving Israel, purchasing new phones in Prague, sending a short video from Vienna, and then turning off their old phones to cover their tracks. The search expanded internationally, involving Israeli police in Prague, Vienna, Frankfurt, and Mexico, alongside Europol and local law enforcement agencies.

The breakthrough came when investigators traced their route to a flight from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival in Argentina, Israeli police intervened and located them on the bus. A senior police source said, "We wanted to investigate thoroughly because we do not fully understand the motive," but legal constraints in Argentina prevented a deeper inquiry. Ultimately, Mali and Liel maintain they left Israel of their own free will.