Bank of Jerusalem Shares Plunge Amid Investigation into Employee Disappearance in Vienna

Shares of Bank of Jerusalem sharply declined on the stock exchange following developments in the investigation into the disappearance of employees Mali and Liel Yahalomi in Vienna. The stock fell as much as 12.39% at its lowest point during the day. Concurrently, an Israeli court approved a request by the Lahav 433 unit to impose a gag order on details related to the ongoing investigation in Israel, preventing disclosure of the inquiry's directions at this stage.

The investigation was transferred to Lahav 433's National Fraud Investigations Unit after Israeli authorities assessed that the disappearance likely does not have a nationalist motive. Mali and Liel were last seen in Vienna on Friday, after which all contact was lost. Their family has provided testimony and information to Lahav 433 investigators. Austrian authorities continue searching for the two and examining the circumstances of their disappearance. The family requests that the possibility of a nationalist motive remain under consideration until the women are found.

Bank of Jerusalem stated that following an internal review, no irregularities were found concerning the bank’s funds or assets. CEO Yair Kaplan addressed employees, acknowledging media reports about Mali Yahalomi’s disappearance and emphasizing that aside from her being an employee, there is no connection between the incident and the bank. He also reminded staff that the gag order prohibits sharing any information about the case with others.