Dubai/Jerusalem: The United Arab Emirates has arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged murder of an Israeli citizen, Rabbi Zvi Kogan, according to the Emirati Interior Ministry. The ministry’s statement, released on Sunday, did not disclose details about the suspects or whether they had been formally charged. It emphasized that legal authorities would act “decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the killing, describing it as a “heinous antisemitic terrorist act.” He pledged that Israel would exhaust all efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Rabbi Kogan, 28, who held Israeli and Moldovan citizenship, was a UAE resident associated with the New York-based Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement. He had been reported missing on Thursday, with his body discovered on Sunday in Al Ain, near the border with Oman.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that Israeli agencies are actively assisting in the investigation. Local reports suggest Kogan was last seen at a kosher supermarket in Dubai.
Former Israeli politician Ayoob Kara told Reuters that indications pointed to possible Iranian involvement in the killing. However, the Iranian Embassy in the UAE categorically denied these allegations, stating, “Iran rejects the claims of involvement in this incident.”
Israel has reiterated a travel advisory for its citizens, urging them to avoid non-essential travel to the UAE. Those already in the country have been advised to minimize movement, remain in secure areas, and avoid locations associated with Israel or Jewish communities.
The White House has expressed solidarity with Israel and the UAE. “We condemn in the strongest terms the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE, and our prayers are with his family,” said National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett.
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Jewish Community Reacts
The UAE’s Jewish community expressed shock and grief over the incident. Rabbi Kogan’s murder comes amid heightened tensions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Since the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established formal ties between the UAE and Israel, the Jewish community has grown more visible in the Gulf nation. However, security concerns have led to the closure of informal synagogues in Dubai, with Jewish worshippers opting to pray privately at home. The UAE’s sole government-approved synagogue, located in Abu Dhabi, remains operational.
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Former politician Ayoob Kara stated that while the murder has deeply affected the community, it will not deter Israelis and Jews from continuing to build ties with the UAE. “No way to stop this relationship and this cooperation,” said Kara, a member of Israel’s Druze minority.
There are no official statistics on the number of Jews or Israelis residing in the UAE, but estimates suggest the community numbers in the thousands.
