Dear community, thank you for being here.
My name is Matan Shilo, and I am reaching out to you, together with my family, out of deep anxiety for the fate of my 6-year-old son, Michael, who was abducted abroad by his mother (my ex-wife, Rebecca) and her father (citizen of Kazakhstan) in flagrant violation of a court order, which had authorized her to take him on a brief vacation from which he hasn't returned.
On December 10, 2025, Michael and his mother flew to France with the court’s approval, despite my repeated warnings about a real risk of abduction. This was a rash and negligent decision by the court, made without any oversight measures or a reasonable guarantee that Michael would be brought back, and it effectively enabled his abduction! On December 17, 2025, I spoke with Michael for the last time — he couldn’t say where he was and seemed very confused. Since then, his mother has cut off all contact, and Michael’s whereabouts are unknown.
Michael was born in Israel and has lived his entire life in Shoham. He is a charming boy, deeply loved by his peers and those who know him. He is a first-grade student at the "Avnei HaChoshen" school, loves his environment, his community, and his synagogue. His grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and classmates ask about him constantly, wondering where he is and when he will return. Michael knew he was supposed to come home and was looking forward to celebrating Hanukkah with us, but he never came back.
This is a meticulously pre-planned abduction! After realizing Michael never boarded his return flight, we discovered that just days before their departure, my ex-wife vacated her apartment, sold her car, and resigned from her job — leaving no room for doubt regarding her intention to abduct Michael and never return!
I am gravely concerned for Michael’s well-being. Over the years, my ex-wife has demonstrated poor judgment and has failed to act in Michael’s best interest, as noted by social services, and there are sincere concerns regarding her mental stability. Her family resides in Kazakhstan (a Muslim country) and has no ties to Israel. I fear Michael may disappear, lose his identity, and that his personal safety is at risk. This fear is intensified by the suspected involvement of her father in the abduction; based on my personal acquaintance with him, he is involved in criminal activity in Kazakhstan, and I am terrified of his proximity to my son.
The State Attorney’s Office and the court have officially recognized Michael as an abducted minor under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and are ostensibly in contact with Interpol and foreign authorities to locate him. However, regrettably, the work of the authorities both in Israel and abroad is limited, slow, and cumbersome; the information received from them is minimal, partial, and arrives with significant delay. For its part, the court refuses to acknowledge the severity of the case and declines to grant our requests for assistance. Michael is being abandoned by the authorities meant to protect him, and every passing day works against him, pushing him further away from us.
To locate Michael as soon as possible, my family and I must invest immense resources into private investigation agencies and expert legal teams both in Israel and abroad. These expenses reach hundreds of thousands of shekels. Furthermore, once we locate him, I will need to manage a prolonged legal battle abroad to secure his return to Israel – a process that requires significant financial means.
Regrettably, I cannot fund this on my own. For the first time in my life, I am forced to turn to you and your hearts to help me bring my son home before it is too late (due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, I cannot make a broad appeal through the media or public social networks).
I turn to you with great faith and hope that Michael can soon return to his country, his school, and the community and family he loves so much, from which he was uprooted against his will.
Thanking you deeply, and may we hear good news.🙏
