By Carrie Keller-Lynn in Tel Aviv, Rory Jones in Dubai and Dov Lieber in Tel Aviv
A missing Jewish community leader found dead in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday was abducted and killed in an “act of antisemitic terrorism,” Israel said.
Israeli-Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, 28, went missing from Dubai Thursday afternoon, prompting an investigation by Israel’s Mossad spy agency after suspicions were raised that he was abducted in an act of terrorism. Kogan, a rabbi, was an emissary of the Jewish Chabad movement to Abu Dhabi, where he lived with his wife.
Israel said on Sunday morning that Emirati authorities had found Kogan’s body, confirming fears in the local Jewish community.
“The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism,” read a statement from Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office. “The State of Israel will use all means and will deal with the criminals responsible for his death to the fullest extent of the law.”
Israel didn’t formally point a finger but suspects Uzbek citizens with ties to Iran were involved in Kogan’s abduction and killing, said a person familiar with the investigation. Iran has relied on Uzbek citizens in the past for foreign missions, the person said. At least some of the suspects are believed to have fled to Turkey, where their cars were found, the person said.
Meantime, authorities in the Emirates arrested three people in connection with the killing, the country’s interior ministry announced Sunday evening.
After the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war, Israel warned its citizens and Jews that they might be the targets of attacks abroad by Iran or Iran-linked groups, among others. Amid these concerns, Israel had warned its citizens to limit foreign travel and minimize openly identifying themselves as Israeli or Jewish.
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