Israeli Mother and Daughter Missing in Vienna Spark Urgent Search Efforts

Mali and Liel Yahalomi, an Israeli mother and daughter traveling together in Europe, have been missing since last Friday. They were last seen in Vienna, where local authorities and the Jewish community are actively searching for them. Ra'anan Timsit, a Chabad emissary in Vienna who last saw them, told Kan News that there are no leads yet and expressed deep concern, especially since the two did not board their scheduled flight back to Israel from Prague on Sunday night.

The pair had visited Prague and traveled by train to Vienna over the weekend. Their belongings were not found in their Vienna apartment, suggesting they may have left the city. Timsit highlighted the difficulty in tracing them despite Vienna being a major European tourist hub with extensive surveillance and open borders within Europe. He noted the possibility they could be in another country where no search efforts are underway.

Authorities, including the local police and the Jewish community, are mobilized in the search. Timsit emphasized that there have been no reports of increased antisemitism in Vienna that might explain their disappearance. Family members, including Mali’s brother-in-law Amir Rodnik, reported losing contact after a last message on Friday evening showing excitement about their apartment. The family has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the ongoing search efforts.

The case remains open and worrying, with no indication yet of what happened to the two Israeli women.