UAE Reports Arrest of Three Suspects in Abduction and Murder of Israeli Rabbi

On Sunday, December 4, the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates announced the arrest of three suspects in the abduction and murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an Israeli citizen residing in the Gulf country. The statement did not provide details about the suspects but emphasized the use of 'all legal powers' for a 'decisive and uncompromising response to any action or attempt threatening social stability.' An Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Reuters that Rabbi Zvi Kogan's body was found on Sunday and that all Israeli organizations are participating in the investigation related to the murder of this Israeli citizen. The official added that it is still unclear at this stage who is responsible for the murder and that there is no information yet about the identities of the three individuals arrested in this regard. This Israeli official described the murder of Rabbi Kogan as 'an anti-Semitic attack against a prominent Jew in the United Arab Emirates.' He noted that Rabbi Zvi Kogan was last seen before his murder in a kosher supermarket in Dubai, and the perpetrators likely identified him there. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has warned all Israeli citizens and Jews residing in the UAE to remain vigilant. Meanwhile, just hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli government would bring the murderers and instigators of the abduction and murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan to justice. Netanyahu, speaking at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, expressed deep anger on behalf of himself, government members, and all citizens of Israel and Jews worldwide regarding this 'terrorist and anti-Semitic attack.' He expressed condolences to the family of this Israeli citizen and stated that the Israeli government would use all its resources to deal with the murderers and instigators of this crime and would not allow any of them to escape. Netanyahu also praised the UAE's cooperation in the investigation into the murder and added that relations between the two countries would be strengthened in confronting the 'axis of evil' and that cooperation to expand regional stability would continue. The Prime Minister's Office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry had earlier issued a joint statement announcing that UAE officials had found the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an Israeli citizen and member of the Chabad Jewish community in Abu Dhabi. Israel has described this murder as 'a heinous anti-Jewish terrorist act' and has committed to using all available means to apprehend those responsible for this crime. Kogan held dual citizenship of Israel and Moldova and had been part of the Chabad community in Abu Dhabi since the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE in late 2020. According to Israel's Channel 12, Kogan was the nephew of Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg, who, along with his wife, was killed in a terrorist attack on the Chabad House in Nariman, Mumbai, in 2008. The previous day, the website 'Ynet' reported that Kogan's abandoned vehicle was found in Al Ain, about 150 kilometers from Abu Dhabi. The report, without citing sources, added that officials suspect that several Uzbek citizens attacked Kogan and then fled to Turkey. According to the news website Walla, citing security sources, Israel has information indicating that Kogan was under surveillance by the Iranian intelligence service. Although there is still no definitive information about a possible connection between the Iranian government and this incident, the Islamic Republic has a history of attempting to attack Israeli citizens and Jews around the world. In the most recent case, the Canadian newspaper 'Globe and Mail' reported on November 19 that the Canadian government thwarted an Islamic Republic plot to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a prominent Jewish lawyer and former Minister of Justice who has also served as the Attorney General of the country. However, the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi denied any involvement of the Iranian government in the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan on Sunday. The UAE and Israel are investigating the disappearance of Rabbi Zvi Kogan.