Three Months of Agony
New Details Surface in Cold Case: The Last Fateful Phone Call Before Malchut Disappeared
The family of 21-year-old Malchut Rachel Azulay is pleading for help three months after her disappearance, alleging that police missteps, including using the wrong photo in an appeal, have hampered the investigation.
For nearly three months, the family of Malchut Rachel Azulay, a 21-year-old woman from Kiryat Gat, has been living in a state of escalating anxiety and frustration since her mysterious disappearance. Their ordeal has been compounded by what they feel is a lack of urgency and significant missteps by authorities, including the publication of a recent public appeal featuring the wrong photograph, that of Malchut’s sister.
Malchut was last seen in late July, and her family fears she may have been kidnapped, desperately pleading for the case to receive the attention it deserves.
Confused Investigation and Wrong Photo
The error in the police’s renewed missing person alert deepened the family’s confusion and distress. Yair, Malchut’s uncle, shared his profound frustration: “I don’t know what to say about that, I have no words. It’s strange because they know the story, they know the family. It’s not like we just arrived suddenly. How does something like this happen? Did someone make a mistake? Something here is strange, and generally, the disappearances here in the country are strange. What is this? I can’t understand, I’m frustrated and devastated by this.”
He added, expressing a feeling of neglect: “I don’t want to think what would happen if the situation was with another family. In the end, this is a family with many children, lacking means, and that’s how it looks. A picture like that, or another, what does it matter?”
The Israel Police later acknowledged the error, stating that the photo was published "inadvertently and in good faith," and issued an apology along with a corrected appeal.
A Midnight Disappearance and a Shrouded Trail
According to testimony gathered by the family, Malchut Rachel was seeking alternative accommodation and had arrived at a religious seminary (Midrasha) in Beit Shemesh, where she stayed for only two days. She was not happy with the situation, sharing her discomfort with her sister over the phone.
Malchut's uncle, Yair, recounted the sequence of events: "The call was at the end of July. Malchut called her sister, and her sister realized she was probably in a bad mood. Something Malchut Rachel said didn't sit right with her sister, and at that moment she called the police and asked to alert them that something was wrong. Police officers actually came to the location to check on her condition at the Midrasha, that was around 4:00 AM."
Despite resistance from the director of the seminary, the police insisted on checking on her. "The police insisted, reached her, apparently woke her up, and understood she was fine. She told them, 'Everything is okay, I am fine.' But about an hour and a half after the police visit, Malchut Rachel left the Midrasha," Yair said.
Security cameras at the seminary documented her departure, showing her "not dressed normally, quite scattered, neglected," as she boarded a bus toward Jerusalem. In a stroke of luck, the bus was in a garage at the time, and the cameras’ footage was preserved longer than the usual two-week period.
However, the trail ran cold after she reached the central bus station in Jerusalem. When family members requested to view security footage from the station, they were told that she looked "really unwell, and it would be better not to publish it." Since that last sighting at the central bus station, her whereabouts have been unknown.
Authorities Offer No Answers
The parents’ anguish was compounded after they met with the incoming Chief of the ISA, David Zini. The family claims Zini told them the case was likely "more criminal, less in their domain," and that his agency had little involvement.
Yair expressed the family's deep frustration with the official stance: "I really ask, how do they know it’s criminal if they tell us there’s no lead? Either they know something or they don't. You can't leave us like this for three months. To whom does it even make sense that she hasn't been seen for so long?"
The Israel Police maintains that extensive operational and investigative efforts are underway, including searches of abandoned buildings, checks with health institutions nationwide, and questioning acquaintances. The police stressed the sensitive and ongoing nature of the large-scale investigation, urging the public to contact their emergency hotline immediately with any information regarding Malchut Rachel Azulay.