Israel says body of missing rabbi found in UAE

ANKARA

Israeli authorities said Sunday that the body of a missing rabbi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been found.

Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an Israeli-Moldovan dual national, had been missing in the UAE since Thursday but a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and the Foreign Ministry confirmed that his body was found.

The statement called his killing “a despicable anti-Semitic terrorist act,” and vowed to “act by all means” to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It, however, did not provide any details about the location where the body was found.

The UAE Interior Ministry, for its part, said that it had arrested three perpetrators over Kogan’s murder.

A ministry statement said that full details of the incident will be disclosed upon the conclusion of the investigations.

The ministry stressed that it will “utilize all legal powers to respond decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability.”

Following the rabbi’s death, Israel’s National Security Council renewed its warning for Israeli citizens to only travel to the UAE for “essential reasons.”

“Avoid visiting businesses, gathering places, and entertainment venues identified with the Israeli and Jewish population,” says the warning.

It also advised Israelis in the UAE to maintain increased vigilance and avoid displaying Israeli symbols.

Kogan was an envoy of the Orthodox Jewish organization Chabad in the UAE since it normalized its relations with Israel under a US-sponsored agreement in late 2020.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala