ABSTRACT

Austrian police were investigating on Wednesday the disappearance of two Israeli women, Mali Yahalomi and her daughter Liel, who were last heard from in Vienna on Friday afternoon before the Jewish Sabbath and failed to board a return flight from Prague scheduled for 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Their phones are switched off, credit cards have not been used, no security-camera footage of them has been found, and the vacation apartment where they had been staying was found empty of their belongings.

The Jerusalem Post

Two Israeli women missing in Vienna since Friday; investigation transferred to central unit

Aug 12, 2026, 1:30 PM

Context

The investigation has been transferred to the Vienna Police's central unit, which family members were told signals growing concern among Austrian authorities. As of Wednesday, family members had not been directly questioned by Austrian police; contact with authorities was being conducted through the Israeli consulate.

Austrian authorities had issued no official public announcement about the case as of Wednesday afternoon, and the disappearance received limited attention in Austrian media. Brief reports that did appear relied primarily on statements from the Israeli Embassy and Israeli media.

Mali and Liel had travelled to Europe as a birthday surprise — Mali turned 50 the previous week and her daughter arranged the trip. They arrived in Vienna by train from Prague, checked into a vacation apartment, and remained in regular contact with family until Friday afternoon, when they sent a final message to a family group chat: 'We arrived at the apartment. Look what a cool apartment! Shabbat shalom, everyone.'

Because the two observe the Sabbath, the initial loss of contact did not alarm relatives. Concern grew on Sunday morning when messages went unanswered and phone calls were not returned. WhatsApp messages to the women showed only a single check mark, indicating they had not been delivered.

Vienna police entered the apartment and found the women's belongings gone, raising the possibility they had left intending to continue travelling. Europe's open borders — allowing movement into Slovakia, Hungary, and other countries without passport control — have complicated the search.

Ronen Yahalomi, Mali's son and Liel's brother, flew to Vienna on Wednesday afternoon to join the search in person. A makeshift coordination centre was established at the family home in Modi'in, Israel.

The Israeli Embassy in Vienna, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and Austrian police have been appealing since Tuesday for anyone with information to contact the emergency number +43-676-3672304 or local police. Despite widespread publicity, no information received had assisted in locating the women, according to the report.

A fundraising campaign was launched to finance search efforts, with costs estimated at approximately $100,000. The family said it was working with professional teams on the ground in Austria.

Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy held a situational assessment on the case and instructed that all necessary resources and capabilities be allocated, both in Israel and abroad, to support the investigation.

All Perspectives

Family / relatives: A relative identified as Levin said the women were 'happy and joyful' during the trip and described them as experienced travellers who are always in constant contact. 'Nothing about this disappearance fits their character. They travel abroad together often and have never disappeared, not even close to anything like this.' Another relative, Einav, said: 'We have no leads whatsoever. I'm afraid they got into a vehicle and were kidnapped.' The family noted the women called every two hours during the trip to check on the dog they had left with Mali's mother.

Chabad community in Vienna: 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.'

Source familiar with Jewish community coordination: A source familiar with coordination with the Jewish community noted that, unlike in previous missing-person cases, the community had not yet been mobilised to physically assist in the search, adding: 'Maybe there's a reason, since they aren't sharing details.'

Israeli Embassy in Vienna: The embassy issued an urgent public appeal asking anyone with information to immediately call the emergency number +43-676-3672304 or contact local police, and published an infographic seeking assistance in locating the two women.

Israel Police: Commissioner Daniel Levy held a situational assessment and instructed that all necessary resources and capabilities be allocated, both in Israel and abroad, to support the investigation and efforts to locate the women.

Position not represented in the source reporting: Austrian police — their investigative rationale, findings, and official position are absent from the source despite being the lead investigating authority.

Gaps & Unknowns

Austrian police have not issued an official statement and their investigative findings or working theories are not detailed in the source.
The identities of 'Levin' and 'Einav' — whether they are family members or spokespersons — are not fully established in the source.
No information is provided on what, if any, leads prompted the transfer of the case to the Vienna Police central unit.
The source does not clarify whether the women's belongings being removed from the apartment was confirmed by police forensic examination or by observation alone.
No detail is provided on the composition or methods of the professional search teams operating on the ground.

Sources & Further Reading

The Jerusalem Post — original

Read the original at The Jerusalem Post

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