Missing Israeli Rabbi Found Dead in UAE

An Israeli rabbi missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found dead, Israeli authorities said on Sunday, in what they described as an “antisemitic terrorist act.”

Zvi Kogan, who also holds Moldovan citizenship and is a representative of Chabad, a religious movement of Hasidic Jews with communities, synagogues, and other institutions in many countries, had been missing since Thursday afternoon. Chabad’s official website says he was abducted from Dubai.

In a joint statement Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Kogan’s body had been located by UAE authorities.

“The murder of Tzvi [Zvi] Kogan, of blessed memory, is a heinous antisemitic terrorist act. The State of Israel will use all means at its disposal to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice,” the statement said.

At the opening of his cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The State of Israel will use all means at its disposal to bring the murderers of Kogan and those who sent them to justice.”

Extending his “heartfelt condolences” to the Kogan family, he added that “the murder of an Israeli citizen and Chabad emissary is a heinous, anti-Semitic act of terror.”

Israeli authorities have reissued travel advice for nationals, recommending against non-essential travel, and say visitors should minimize movement and stay in secure places.

The UAE interior ministry confirmed Saturday it “had received a report from the family of a Moldovan national named Zvi Kogan, stating that he has been missing and out of contact since last Thursday” and that an investigation was underway.

Chabad Emissaries

Kogan worked alongside other Chabad emissaries to establish and expand Judaism in the UAE. He founded the first Jewish education centre in the region, as well as helped make kosher food widely available, according to the Chabad movement’s official website.

Kogan’s wife Rivky is a US national whose uncle Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg was killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The UAE has a small Jewish community, thought to number thousands. Last year, the Gulf state opened its first-ever purpose built synagogue. Called the “Abrahamic Family House,” the interfaith complex also houses a mosque and a church.

Relations between the UAE and Israel thawed in recent years. In 2020, the UAE became the most prominent Arab nation in decades to open relations with Israel, under the US-brokered agreement known as the Abraham Accords.

The public presence of Israelis and Jews has receded since the October 7 attacks. Jewish community members told the agency that informal synagogues in Dubai were closed in the wake of the attacks due to security concerns.

CNN/Shakirat Sadiq