Malli and Liel Yehalomi return to Israel after months missing

Malli and Liel Yehalomi, the mother and daughter who fled Israel and were located in South America, landed this afternoon (Wednesday) at Ben Gurion Airport, ending a saga that began nearly two months ago. The pair were met in the arrivals hall by crowds of reporters and photographers, but refused to speak to the media.

Malli and Liel arrived wearing matching sun hats and identical clothing, deflecting all approaches from journalists. The two hurried into a waiting vehicle without saying a word, avoiding eye contact with the cameras and microphones positioned to greet them.

Their lawyer, Shanit Ben Shoshan, addressed the press: "Folks, these people have been through a lot. Since this morning I've been getting messages as if they're enemies of the state. I'm asking you to let them go home. They're not enemies and they didn't steal and they didn't murder and they didn't do anything. Please respect that. Today is October 7th, let's focus on that."

According to reports, Malli and Liel boarded a flight from Athens, Greece, on their way back to Israel, landing around 4:30 PM. The family said the two returned to Israel in order to rehabilitate and wish to "put the incident behind them."

Moshe Yehalomi, Malli's brother, said earlier today that the family did not know exactly when the two would return to Israel, but were aware of their intention to come back. "My sister contacted us and said she would return. We didn't know the exact date, but there was talk about their return to the country," the brother was quoted as saying on N12.

He added: "We really appreciate the people of Israel and the media who were with us in the first days, but in the end we're anonymous people and the situation is hard for her. We just want to get back to our quiet life."

The landing comes hours after false reports indicated the two had been arrested in Namibia, Africa, on suspicion of using forged passports. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, the detainees were not Malli and Liel Yehalomi, but an Iranian mother and daughter.

Rabbi Yosef Rachimi, a Chabad emissary in Namibia, shed light on the unusual incident. According to him, he was updated overnight by immigration authorities about the arrest of "two Israelis," and immediately mobilized to help. "I arrived at the police station with breakfast and asked to see them. At first they wouldn't let me, but in the end I managed to get in," Rabbi Rachimi recounted. "I looked at them, said to them 'shalom, good morning', and then I understood immediately: these aren't Israelis, these are Iranians."

Malli and Liel Yehalomi were declared missing last August after they disappeared in Vienna, Austria. The search for them spanned multiple continents and involved hundreds of investigators worldwide. During the investigation, it emerged that Malli had meticulously planned the disappearance for over a year, she withdrew her severance pay from her pension fund a year earlier and used it to finance the journey to South America.

Cell phone correspondence between the mother and daughter that was uncovered in the investigation revealed that Liel joined the plan of her own free will. The daughter wrote to her mother: "I'll go with you anywhere." The two deleted applications from their cell phones and took additional steps designed to prevent tracking.