Israeli Mother and Daughter Missing in Vienna as Police Impose Gag Order

Israeli and Austrian authorities are investigating the disappearance of Mali Yahalomi, 50, and her daughter Liel, 23, who vanished in Vienna last Friday. An Israeli judge has imposed a gag order on the investigation, which is being handled by the Israel Police's Lahav 433 major crimes unit. The two women had traveled from Prague to Vienna by train and failed to board a scheduled return flight from Prague on Tuesday night. Their vacation apartment was found empty of their belongings, and their phones were reportedly located near a Vienna train station before the trail went cold.

The disappearance caused volatility for the Bank of Jerusalem, where Mali Yahalomi is a senior employee. The bank's stock fell as much as 12 percent on Thursday before recovering most of those losses. While some reports suggested the investigation involved a potential embezzlement scheme or the withdrawal of significant cash, Bank of Jerusalem CEO Yair Kaplan stated that no connection has been found between the incident and the bank. He emphasized that no irregular activity involving bank funds or assets was identified.

There are conflicting assessments regarding the nature of the disappearance. Austrian police and some Israeli police sources have indicated there is currently no evidence of foul play or a criminal incident, suggesting the women may have disappeared of their own volition. Conversely, the family of the missing women has urged authorities not to rule out the possibility of terrorism. The Israeli embassy in Vienna has appealed for public help in locating the two women.