Israel investigates UAE rabbi’s kidnapping and death as terrorism

Israel assured that the rabbi Israeli-Moldovan missing United Arab Emirates (UAE) He was kidnapped and murdered “as part of an act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”

It is about Zvi Kogan whose body was located by Emirati authorities on Sunday November 24.

“The State of Israel will do everything possible to bring to justice the criminals responsible for his death,” they said from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the announcement of the discovery of Kogan’s body.

Kogan, 28, was an emissary of Chabad-Lubavitch, a branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism that aims to strengthen Jewish identity around the world.

Along with other Chabad emissaries, he worked with Rabbi Levi Duchman to “establish and develop Jewish life” in the United Arab Emirates, where he had resided for several years.

He also ran a kosher grocery store in Dubai called Rimon Market .

His wife, Rivky, is the rabbi’s niece Gavriel Holtzberg killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The disappearance of the Israeli-Moldovan citizen was reported on the afternoon of November 21, triggering an investigation by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and local authorities.

The Mossad assured at the time that it was treating the events as a matter of terrorism. “Since his disappearance, and on the basis of information indicating a terrorist event, an in-depth investigation has been opened” they said.

On Sunday morning, Israel confirmed the discovery of the body of the Israeli-Moldovan citizen.

Israeli officials have remained in contact with Kogan’s family since his disappearance, they said in a statement.

“The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abominable act of anti-Semitic terrorism” they explained.

Although authorities have not shared further details about where Kogan was identified and the circumstances of his death, Israeli politician Ayoob Kara revealed to the agency Reuters that the discovery took place in the Emirati city of Al Ain, located on the border with Oman. It has not been revealed whether the murder took place exactly in this city or elsewhere.

The discovery also came after his abandoned car was found an hour from his home.

“This vile anti-Semitic attack reminds us of the inhumanity of the enemies of the Jewish people” Israeli President Isaac Herzog noted in a post on X.

Hours after the discovery of Kogan’s body was confirmed, Emirati authorities announced they had arrested three suspects who may have been involved in the murder.

As reported by the UAE Ministry of Interior, the three suspects are from Uzbek nationality and were identified as Olimbay Tohirovic (28 years old), Makhmudjon Abdurakhim (28 years old) and Azizbek Kamilovich (33 years old) .

The organization detailed in a press release published in the state agency WAM that they take “the necessary actions to discover the details, circumstances and motives of the crime”.

The same agency published images of the three men with part of their faces covered. It was not clear whether any charges had already been filed against the subjects.

Kogan’s case has caused great concern among the Jewish community in the Emirati territory and comes at a time when the Arab country is strengthening its ties with Israel.

After the two countries established diplomatic relations under the Abraham Accords in 2020, many Israelis began traveling to the UAE and settling there to conduct business or tourism.

The United States has also chosen to maintain its ties with Israel since the start of the Gaza war. Of course, since October 2023, Israeli authorities have recommended traveling to this country only for “essential reasons”.