Bank of Jerusalem Denies Embezzlement Amid Disappearance of Employee and Daughter in Vienna

Shares of Bank of Jerusalem sharply declined following rumors linking the disappearance of employee Maly Yahalomi and her daughter Liel in Vienna to financial misconduct. The bank conducted an internal investigation and found no evidence of irregularities involving its funds or assets. In a statement to employees, the bank emphasized that aside from Yahalomi being an employee, there is no connection between the disappearance and the bank, and warned against spreading unverified information that could harm the family.

Maly Yahalomi, 50, and her 23-year-old daughter Liel have been missing in Vienna since last Friday. The Israeli police imposed a gag order on the investigation and transferred the case to the elite Lahav 433 unit. The family criticized police briefings for suggesting premature conclusions and stated that some information released contradicts what they know. They also stressed that there is currently no basis to rule out a nationalistic terrorist motive.

Israeli authorities, including the embassy in Austria, are actively involved in the search, which also includes a special police command post in Austria. Vienna police have stated there is no indication of a crime or harm by others so far. Investigations are ongoing into possible kidnapping and the fact that the two reportedly carried a large sum of money before traveling. Their phones were last tracked near a Vienna bus station.

The family has enlisted a professional search and rescue company and launched a crowdfunding campaign to support search efforts, highlighting the urgency and their concern over the unusual communication blackout. The Israeli embassy urges anyone who encounters Maly or Liel to have them contact the family immediately or call the embassy's emergency number.