Tzvi Kogan, who also held Moldovan citizenship and was a representative of the Chabad movement, disappeared on Thursday afternoon. The official website of the Chabad movement reported that he had been abducted from Dubai.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Kogan’s body had been located by UAE authorities. The statement said: “The murder of Tzvi Kogan is a brutal anti-Semitic terrorist act. The State of Israel will use all means at its disposal to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.”
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have advised their citizens to reduce non-essential travel to the UAE and remain in secure locations.
The UAE’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that Kogan’s family, who are Moldovan nationals, had reported his disappearance. The body was recovered today, and investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the culprits.
Although the relations between the UAE and Israel have improved in recent years. In 2020, the UAE became the first Arab country in decades to establish formal ties with Israel under the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords.”
However, following the October 7 attacks, Reuters reported that the public presence of Israelis and Jews in the UAE has declined. Members of the Jewish community have said that informal synagogues in Dubai have been closed due to security concerns.
