# A Bank Loses a Tenth of Its Value on a Rumour, Then Gets Most of It Back

> Bank of Jerusalem shares fell about 12 percent on Thursday after social media linked the bank's money to two Israelis missing in Vienna. The bank says it reviewed and found nothing.

- Source: Israel Today
- Canonical URL: https://israeltoday.news/article/bank-of-jerusalem-vienna-disappearance
- Author: Maya Shulman
- Section: Business
- Published: 2026-08-13T15:25:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-13T15:25:00.000Z
- Tags: Banking, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Police

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Bank of Jerusalem shares dropped roughly 12 percent at their lowest on Thursday and had recovered to about 2 percent down by early afternoon. Nothing was announced by the company to cause either move. The fall followed unsubstantiated claims circulating on social media that connected the bank's funds to the disappearance of two Israelis in Vienna.

The two are Mali Yahalomi, 50, an employee of the bank, and her daughter Liel, 23. They had travelled to Vienna by train from Prague the previous week. They were last seen on Friday, missed a Shabbat dinner, did not collect kosher food they had ordered for Saturday, and were noticed missing on Sunday when messages went unanswered. Ynet has reported that investigators are examining whether a significant sum in cash was withdrawn and whether data was erased from their phones in the days beforehand.

The bank's answer was direct. Chief executive Yair Kaplan said no connection has been found between the incident and the bank, and that a review identified nothing indicating irregular activity involving its funds or assets. Israeli authorities imposed a gag order on Thursday and the case is with Lahav 433, the police unit that handles serious and white collar crime.

The assessments do not agree. A Vienna police spokesman, Markus Dittrich, said there is currently no indication of foul play. Haaretz, citing police sources, reports a strengthening view that the two left of their own accord. The family says there is no basis for ruling out a terror incident, while Israel's embassy in Austria does not believe the case is connected to hostility towards Israelis. The embassy has asked anyone with information to contact it or the Vienna police. What the share price measured on Thursday was not any of that. It was a rumour, and it cost a tenth of a listed bank before lunch.

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Originally published by Israel Today. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://israeltoday.news/article/bank-of-jerusalem-vienna-disappearance.