Tel Aviv, November 24, 2024-Israel has confirmed that Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who went missing in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week, was murdered. The Israeli government has pledged to pursue those responsible for his death.
“The murder of Zvi Kogan is a criminal antisemitic terrorist incident. The State of Israel will use all its resources to bring the criminals to justice,” the Prime Minister’s office stated on Sunday, following the discovery of the rabbi’s body.
Rabbi Kogan, a 28-year-old envoy of the Chabad Orthodox Jewish organization, had been missing in Dubai since Thursday. The disappearance triggered an investigation involving Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, as well as UAE authorities. Israeli officials have been in contact with the family of the Israeli-Moldovan national since his disappearance.
The body of Rabbi Kogan was found after his abandoned car was located about an hour’s drive from his home. His death was condemned by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who described it as “a vile, antisemitic attack.”
In light of the incident, Israel’s travel advisory service has urged citizens to travel to the UAE only for “essential reasons,” citing concerns over “terrorist activity” that poses “a real risk” to Israelis.
