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Argentina Search Ends
Israeli police said Chief Superintendent Walter Alejandro Kogan, Israel Police’s representative in South America, tracked down missing Israelis Mali and Liel Yahalomi in Argentina after he began working with local authorities once it became clear the mother and daughter had entered the country.
“When I understood that the missing women had arrived in Argentina, I carried out a rapid inquiry”
Kogan told reporters that “When I understood that the missing women had arrived in Argentina, I carried out a rapid inquiry,” and he said he realized they were traveling outside Buenos Aires.
He said he then set out with Argentine police and Interpol officers to locate them, and once they were found he identified himself and checked that they were safe and that there were no signs a crime had been committed.
Israel Police said its overseas representatives work with foreign law enforcement agencies as part of the force’s international intelligence network, including urgent cases such as searches for missing Israelis.
In footage released after the discovery, Kogan was heard telling Mali and Liel, “I want to ask you a few questions. We were very worried about you, OK?”
Operation Details and Release
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Yahalomi discovery in Argentina came about a week after their disappearance in Vienna, and it said the family of Haymanot Kasau renewed demands for additional action after comparing the search efforts.
In a statement carried by The Jerusalem Post, Haymanot’s campaign headquarters said, “With the mother and daughter having been found and Israel Police succeeding in solving the investigation, its helplessness in investigating Haymanot’s abduction stands out even more,” and it demanded the case be transferred to the Shin Bet.
JNS.org described how the Yahalomis were located by police in Argentina aboard a long-distance bus seven days after contact was lost in Vienna, and it quoted a police source saying investigators confirmed there was no concern of criminal activity.
JNS.org also reported that Israel Police spokesman Aryeh Doron said, “At this stage, the police still do not know the exact reason for their disappearance during that period.”
Digital Trail and Next Steps
JFeed reported that Interpol operations head Tali Bankin described the search as “This was a global operation,” and she said investigators initially assumed an abduction before coming to understand it was a planned event of voluntary disappearance.
“This was a global operation”
JFeed quoted Bankin explaining that investigators received intelligence “several days earlier that the two were in South America,” and it said a Europol representative traveled to the region and coordinated with Israeli police representatives in Europe.
The Jewish Chronicle said the pair were found safe in Argentina after their AI search history was traced, and it reported that N12 News said the women asked AI how to buy a mobile device without showing identification and how to delete specific mobile apps to prevent location tracking.
Israel National News reported new footage in Buenos Aires showing the moments after discovery alongside Superintendent Walter Kogan, and it quoted police spokesman Aryeh Doron saying, “Walter says that the moment he met them, they became very emotional.”
