The Yahalomi family is marking an agonizing week since Mali and Liel disappeared in Vienna. Amid various rumors surrounding the case, the family is calling on security authorities to investigate every possible scenario.
"For a week now, we have woken up every morning with the same prayer: to find you safe and well and bring you home. Do not stop searching," the family said.
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Statement from the Yahalomi family one week after Mali and Liel disappeared
(Photo: Yahalomi family)
Relatives said they "demand that all security and investigative authorities continue examining every scenario, including the possibility of a terrorist attack, until it can be ruled out based on evidence."
"Losing contact with them is completely out of character," the family said. "Mali is a devoted mother and grandmother, a beloved sister and a woman whose life revolves around her family. Liel is a smart, sensitive young woman full of joy. We are aware of the various reports and hope every new detail will help locate them as soon as possible. But the question remains open: What happened to them, and why has there been no contact with them for a week?"
The family thanked "the entire people of Israel for the embrace, support and assistance during this difficult time, the media for providing a platform and continuing its coverage, and all the authorities and officials working alongside us. Special thanks go to the Yedidim rescue organization and Magen, which are supporting the family and operating on the ground as part of the search efforts."
The last time Mali and Liel's cellphones were located was Saturday morning near a train station in Vienna. The station is about 2 kilometers, or 1.2 miles, from the apartment where the two were staying. Vienna police have said there is no suspicion of a criminal incident.
Their family, however, is angered by suggestions that the two left of their own accord and is demanding that the possibility of a nationalist or terrorist motive not be ruled out, particularly amid a wave of antisemitism in Europe.
The home where Mali Yahalomi and her daughter Liel were staying
(Photo: Ze'ev Avrahami)
On Wednesday, a gag order was imposed on the investigation into the disappearance. The order said the investigation is being handled by Lahav 433's National Unit for Combating Economic Crime, known by its Hebrew acronym YALAC.
A police source told ynet, however, that the unit's involvement does not indicate any particular investigative direction and stressed that all possibilities are being examined. The source said YALAC routinely maintains extensive working relationships with law enforcement and police agencies around the world and has the capabilities and experience required to conduct a cross-border investigation of this kind.
The police request for a gag order fueled a wave of rumors on social media linking the disappearance to Mali's work at Bank of Jerusalem's retail banking headquarters. The rumors sent the bank's shares down more than 12% before the losses later moderated.
Bank of Jerusalem quickly said that "no findings have been identified indicating any unusual activity involving the bank's funds, assets or customer funds" and that "there is no concern of any embezzlement of customers' money."
The missing women's relatives expressed anger over the wave of rumors and media reports claiming the two had taken large sums of money with them.