Sarah and Liba Goldschmidt, the eight- and twelve-year-old Israeli-American girls whose whereabouts were unknown this week due to a likely custody battle, were found in northern Israel on Tuesday.
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The two had stayed with the mom under a visitation arrangement with their father, but she did not hand them back as agreed, resulting in widespread searches. Upon their discovery on Tuesday morning in the Haifa area, the mother was arrested on kidnapping charges. The father was given back custody over the two after arriving in the apartment.
Video: A custody battle over a minor (File) / Credit: Israel Police
Police believe the grandmother is involved in the scheme to have them stay longer with the mother.
Originally from Israel, the couple had moved to the US about a decade ago, where they had three children. They eventually divorced, and the father – a US national – got full custody over their two girls and one boy. This summer, a US judge gave the mother permission to take the girls for a vacation in Israel on the condition that she would have to bring them back to the father, who arrived in Israel 10 days after them.
But the woman could not be reached when the time had come and she did not meet him at the agreed-upon location: The Tel Aviv Savidor Train Station. The father ultimately contacted law enforcement, which began a search. At one point, there was concern that their lives were in danger.
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