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full screen Zvi Kogan has been found dead after being missing since Thursday. Photo: Chabad
On Thursday, the wife suspected something was wrong when the husband did not show up for a meeting.
A few days later, the body of the Israeli rabbi was found in Abu Dhabi.
“Disgusting and anti-Semitic,” says Israel – which accuses Iran of being behind the act.
On Sunday, the Israeli parliament confirmed that Israeli-Moldovan rabbi Zvi Kogan, 28, who had been missing since Thursday, has been found dead.
The rabbi’s body was found in the United Arab Emirates, and officials in Israel’s security establishment believe that Kogan was kidnapped and murdered, the Israeli newspaper writes Haaretz.
The rabbi worked as a representative of Chabad in the country, which is an international Orthodox Jewish movement. Chabad’s official website says he was abducted in Dubai.
Singled out as terror
However, writing Haaretz that Kogan most likely went missing near Al Ain, which is in the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates – about an hour and a half’s drive from Dubai.
It is still unclear what happened to the rabbi. Israel has previously singled out the disappearance as a possible act of terrorism – and accused Iran of being behind it.
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full screen Netanyahu calls the incident a “heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act”. Photo: Debbie Hill/AP
Israeli security experts told the paper The Telegraph that the suspicion of the disappearance “immediately” fell on Iran. One reason is that the country’s intelligence services have previously carried out kidnappings in the United Arab Emirates.
Iran has only confirmed the disappearance of the rabbi, but has not responded to Israel’s accusations that it was behind the murder.
“Disgusting and anti-Semitic”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident in a statement on Sunday a “heinous act of anti-Semitic terrorism.” He also said that “the State of Israel will act by all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.”
Both Israel and the United Arab Emirates will investigate the crime. The United Arab Emirates has announced that three Uzbek citizens are suspected of involvement in the case, The Telegraph reports.
Missing for four days
Concerns for Ziv Kogan began on Thursday when he did not appear at a scheduled meeting and had no contact with his family.
His wife then contacted security staff at Chabad – who in turn contacted local authorities and reported Kogan missing.
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full screen The Kosher store in Dubai run by Ziv Kogan. Photo: Jon Gambrell/AP
Israelis are not advised to go there
According to Reuters, the public presence of Israelis and Jews in the United Arab Emirates has diminished since the October 7 attacks. Since that date, it is also recommended that Israelis avoid non-essential travel to the country.
However, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have had a good relationship in recent years. In 2020, the United States brokered a peace agreement between the countries, also known as the Abraham Accords.