Concern is growing for the safety of Israelis Mali and Liel Yahalomi, who have been missing in Vienna since Friday and failed to board their scheduled return flight from Prague on Tuesday night, as Austrian police continue investigating their disappearance on Wednesday.
The two did not arrive for their return flight, which was scheduled to depart Prague at 9:45 p.m.
According to the information available, the vacation apartment where they had been staying in Vienna was found empty of their belongings. Austrian police, the Israeli Embassy, and the city’s Chabad community have reported that there are still no leads in the case.
The family was informed that the investigation into the mystery had been transferred to the Vienna Police’s central unit, an indication that concern is also growing in Austria. However, as of Wednesday, family members had not yet been questioned by Austrian police, and contact with authorities was being conducted solely through the Israeli consulate, which is involved in the search.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Austrian authorities had issued no official announcement regarding the disappearance of Mali and Liel Yahalomi, and the case had received little attention in Austrian media. Brief reports appeared on several news sites, but they relied primarily on statements from the Israeli Embassy and Israeli media.
The investigation was ongoing in Vienna and neighboring countries on Wednesday afternoon, but a source familiar with coordination with the Jewish community noted that, unlike in previous missing-person cases, the community had not yet been mobilized to physically assist in the search.
“Maybe there’s a reason, since they aren’t sharing details,” the source said.
Israeli, Austrian authorities ask public for information on missing women
Meanwhile, the Israeli Embassy, the Foreign Ministry, and Austrian police have been asking since Tuesday for anyone who encountered the two women or has information about them to urgently come forward. Despite widespread publicity, no information had been received that assisted in locating them.
Ronen Yahalomi, Mali’s son and Liel’s brother, landed in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon to personally join the search.
According to Levin, the trip was a birthday present. Mali celebrated her 50th birthday last week, and her daughter surprised her with a trip to Prague. On Friday, they were in Vienna, from where they sent videos and messages to their family.
“They were happy and joyful,” Levin said.
“The two observe Shabbat, so at first the loss of contact did not cause concern. But after Shabbat ended, no message came from them. On Sunday morning, Elinor, Mali’s sister, sent a message in the family group asking, ‘Where are you, what’s going on?’ but the message remained with only one check mark. Phone calls also went unanswered, and there has been no sign of them since,” she said.
“Nothing about this disappearance fits their character. They travel abroad together often and have never disappeared, not even close to anything like this. They’re always in constant contact, always messaging,” Levin added.
The two had also left their dog with Tzipi, Mali’s mother, and during the trip “they called every two hours to ask what was going on, and suddenly it stopped,” she said.
A surprise birthday trip for ‘experienced travelers’
“Mali and Liel are experienced travelers,” she said. “The trip was planned as a surprise for Mali’s 50th birthday.”
The family described the two as living quiet, ordinary lives. Their greatest fear is that something happened to them while they were traveling back from Vienna to Prague, where they were supposed to catch their flight on Tuesday night.
“We have no leads whatsoever. I’m afraid they got into a vehicle and were kidnapped,” Einav said.
The two had set out on a prearranged trip through Europe. They arrived in Vienna by train from Prague, checked into a local vacation apartment, remained in regular contact with their family, and sent their final message to the family group on Friday afternoon, shortly before Shabbat began.
“We arrived at the apartment. Look what a cool apartment! Shabbat shalom, everyone,” they wrote.
Since then, there has been complete silence. Their phones are switched off, there is no location data, their credit cards have not been used, and there is no security-camera footage of them.
“By Sunday, we had already started to worry,” relatives said.
A makeshift command center was established at the family’s home in Modi’in. Elinor, Mali’s sister, described how messages sent to them remained marked with only one check mark on WhatsApp.
“They were in constant contact. This kind of loss of contact is completely out of character for them.”
Vienna police entered the apartment and discovered that the women’s belongings were no longer there, raising the possibility that they left intending to continue their journey.
However, Europe’s open borders have made the search considerably more difficult. A person can quickly cross into Slovakia, Hungary, or other countries without undergoing passport control.
Reuven Timsit, a Chabad representative in Vienna, told Walla, “There are no leads whatsoever, and it’s very strange and highly unusual. We’re in Vienna, not some Third World country. These days, you can locate a person even if they bought a Coke Zero from a machine. But here, nothing. Four hundred people gathered for the Shabbat meal at the Chabad House near the apartment building where the two were staying. They did not register for the meal, did not attend it, and were not seen on the site’s cameras.”
The Israeli Embassy in Austria issued an urgent appeal to the public, asking anyone with information to immediately call the emergency number +43-676-3672304 or contact local police.
The family is working with authorities in Israel and Austria while expanding its search efforts with professional teams on the ground. A fundraising campaign has been launched to finance the search, whose cost is estimated at approximately $100,000.
“Every hour matters, and every bit of assistance helps expand the search efforts,” family representatives said.
Israel Police hold situational assessment
Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy held a situational assessment regarding efforts to locate the missing Israeli women.
Levy instructed that all necessary resources and capabilities be allocated, both in Israel and abroad, to support the investigation and efforts to locate the women.
