Israel announces that the rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed

Israeli Rabbi Found Dead in UAE in Alleged Antisemitic Terror Attack

The Israeli government announced on Sunday that the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan citizen who went missing in the United Arab Emirates, has been recovered. Officials have characterized his death as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” Rabbi Kogan, a prominent figure in Dubai’s Jewish community, managed a kosher grocery store in the city and was last seen on Thursday.

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident in a statement and promised that Israel would "act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Although the state-run WAM news agency reported Kogan's disappearance and described him as Moldovan rather than Israeli, the Emirati government has not yet responded. The Interior Ministry of the United Arab Emirates acknowledged that an inquiry had been started.

 

The tragic incident comes amid heightened regional tensions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which prompted intense Israeli military responses in Gaza and Lebanon. These events have fueled anger across the Arab world, including in the UAE, a nation that normalized ties with Israel in 2020 through the Abraham Accords. Despite the diplomatic agreement, the ongoing conflict has tested the resilience of the relationship.

 

Rabbi Kogan, affiliated with the Chabad Lubavitch movement, played a vital role in serving Dubai’s growing Jewish community. His kosher market, Rimon, has recently faced online protests from pro-Palestinian supporters. The store remained closed on Sunday, with visible damage to its exterior mezuzahs, which had been torn off.

 

Netanyahu acknowledged the UAE’s cooperation in the investigation during a Cabinet meeting, emphasizing the importance of strengthening ties between the two nations. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the killing, thanking Emirati authorities for their swift action and expressing confidence in their ability to bring the perpetrators to justice.

 

Kogan’s wife, Rivky, a U.S. citizen, is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, a victim of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The couple had been residing in Dubai, where Kogan worked as an emissary for the Chabad movement.

 

While the Israeli government has refrained from directly implicating Iran, suspicions linger. Iran, which has a history of intelligence operations in the UAE, is known to maintain surveillance over Iranian expatriates in the region. Past cases, such as the 2013 disappearance of British-Iranian Abbas Yazdi in Dubai, have heightened concerns about Tehran’s activities in the UAE.

 

The investigation into Rabbi Kogan’s death continues, with both Israeli and Emirati officials under pressure to clarify the circumstances and apprehend those responsible. The case has further underscored the fragility of regional stability amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.