New details have emerged about the days leading up to the disappearance of Mali and Liel Yahalomi following their departure from Israel, and the life they left behind.
According to a Channel 12 News report, their decision to leave came against the backdrop of debts totaling more than 200,000 shekels, which had accumulated over an extended period and continued to grow.
According to sources familiar with the case, just days before their disappearance, Mali Yahalomi attended a surprise party marking her 50th birthday. Family members and close friends noticed nothing unusual and had no idea that she and her daughter were planning to leave Israel and disappear.
After the two were located in Argentina, Liel called family members who had gathered at her grandmother's home. During the late-night call, made with the assistance of a local police representative, Liel could be heard crying and said that the two were safe and that they had left of their own free will. She also expressed regret for the worry caused to the family and promised to provide further updates.
The apartment they rented in Modi'in was found furnished and full of belongings, with no signs suggesting a planned move. Mali's son, a married yeshiva student who lives in Israel with his young son and was financially supported by her, was also completely surprised by the developments and knew nothing of the plan. He assisted family members by providing passwords to a computer and iPad that had been left in the apartment.
Sources familiar with the investigation believe that Mali's financial situation was one of the main factors behind the decision to leave. According to them, she had spent a prolonged period trying to improve her financial situation, completing a master's degree in an effort to increase her salary and even receiving a promotion at work. Despite this, she struggled to reduce the debts, which continued to accumulate.
The family believes that the decision to keep the plan secret may also have stemmed from concern that relatives would prevent them from leaving Israel or attempt to help cover the debts. According to the report, some family members had even served as guarantors for Mali's financial commitments, making the secrecy surrounding the plan even more significant.
It was also reported that after the two were located in Argentina, family members were stunned to see Mali without a head covering - a noticeable change for someone who had become religious about 20 years ago. Some relatives interpreted this as another indication that the two were seeking to begin a new chapter and leave their previous lives in Israel behind.
Meanwhile, as Mali and Liel remain in South America, their family has been left to deal with the consequences in Israel - from handling the apartment and leased vehicles to caring for the dog that was left behind and assisting Mali's son and grandson.
Police, meanwhile, continue to stress that the investigation conducted thus far indicates that this was not a kidnapping, but rather a personal decision by the two women to leave Israel.