Israeli rabbi found dead in UAE: Suspected Iranian-directed plot
Shafaq News/ UAE authorities have announced the discovery of the body of Israeli Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a representative of the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, who went missing on Thursday.
Israeli media indicated that initial investigations confirm Kogan was the victim of an "anti-Semitic terrorist act."
The Israeli government has strongly condemned the act and vowed to use “all available means to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
A joint statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that “the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi had maintained continuous contact with Kogan's family since the incident began.”
Little information is available about Kogan, except that he was an assistant to Rabbi Levi Duchman, the Chief Rabbi of the UAE and head of Chabad.
Earlier this week, Kogan traveled to Israel with Duchman, where they met with the new Israeli ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Shelley, at the Prime Minister's Office, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. The two men returned to the UAE on Wednesday, which was the last time Kogan was seen.
Unlike most religious Jewish groups that tend to be insular, Chabad focuses on community interaction and events with non-religious Jews, secular individuals, and other Jewish denominations.
On Saturday, Israeli media revealed the possible involvement of an Uzbek cell operating under Iranian direction in the incident.
Suspicion of kidnapping arose after Kogan's car was found in the city of Al-Ain, which was considered an indication that his movements had been tracked since leaving Dubai, where he disappeared while overseeing kosher procedures at a local store.
Initial investigations suggested that the suspects, of Uzbek nationality, later fled to Turkiye, with evidence allegedly pointing to Iran's involvement in directing the operation.
The Mossad took over the investigation immediately after Kogan's wife reported his absence from scheduled meetings and loss of contact.
The Israeli National Security Council had previously issued a level three travel warning for the UAE, urging against unnecessary travel and recommending strict precautionary measures for residents there.
In turn, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed today that it is closely monitoring the case of the missing Moldovan national [Zvi Kogan]. The UAE Ministry of Interior announced, on Saturday, that it had received a report from the family of a Moldovan national, stating that “he had been missing and out of contact since last Thursday,” without mentioning his Israeli nationality.
The ministry confirmed that the relevant authorities began search and investigation operations immediately upon receiving the report, urging the public to seek information from official sources and not to follow misleading rumors and false news aimed at confusing society.
