Israeli rabbi who went missing in UAE found dead

Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old rabbi working in Dubai for an Orthodox Jewish organisation called Chabad, disappeared on Thursday.

“The state of Israel will use all means at its disposal to bring the criminals responsible for his death to justice,” Netanyahu’s office announced in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from the UAE.

Kogan, who ran a Kosher grocery store in Dubai, was found dead by Emirati security services.

On Saturday, Netanyahu’s office said Israel was investigating Kogan’s disappearance as a “terrorist incident”.

The UAE’s state news agency WAM reported Kogan’s disappearance early on Sunday but did not mention his Israeli citizenship, identifying him only as Moldovan.

“Specialised authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” according to the Emirati interior ministry.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the murder as an “antisemitic attack”, adding that it would not “deter us from continuing to grow flourishing communities in the UAE or anywhere”.

Since normalising relations in 2020, many Israelis have travelled to the UAE for commerce and tourism. Jewish organisations estimate that several thousand Jews currently reside in the country.

Chabad, which has chapters worldwide, seeks to build connections with non-affiliated and secular Jews as well as other Jewish communities. Its UAE branch supports thousands of Jewish residents and visitors, according to its website.

In response to the incident, Israeli authorities renewed their warnings against all non-essential travel to the UAE and advised citizens already there to exercise caution and minimise movement.