Israeli and Emirati authorities are investigating the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, whose body was discovered on Sunday after he was reported missing in the United Arab Emirates.
Rabbi Kogan, an Israeli national, soldier and a representative of the Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement, had been residing in the UAE since it normalised diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under a U.S.-sponsored agreement.
The rabbi was last seen on Thursday, prompting a swift search operation by UAE authorities. The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Mossad intelligence agency confirmed his disappearance and collaboration with local officials in the investigation.
Majed Al Mansoori, director of the UAE Foreign Nationals Affairs Department, stated that significant measures were undertaken to locate Kogan.
By Sunday, Kogan’s body was discovered. In a joint statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry condemned the murder as a “despicable anti-Semitic terrorist act” and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.
UAE authorities arrested three suspects but have withheld further details pending the conclusion of investigations. The UAE Interior Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to utilising all legal measures to maintain societal stability and decisively address threats.
Born in 1996 in Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem, to a Lithuanian-Haredi family, Kogan studied in several prominent yeshivas in Israel before serving in the Israel Defence Forces’ Givati Brigade.
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In 2022 he moved to Abu Dhabi where he worked to expand Jewish life in the UAE alongside Rabbi Levi Duchman. His activities included managing a kosher supermarket named “Rimon” in Dubai and helping to establish the first Jewish education centre in the Gulf region.
The killing has sparked mixed reactions online, with some voicing scepticism about Kogan’s role. A widely circulated post accused Kogan of serving in the Israeli Golani Brigade and carrying weapons, suggesting he may not have been purely a civilian. Others defended him as a religious figure conducting community work.
Following the incident, Israel’s National Security Council issued a renewed travel advisory for Israeli citizens, urging travel to the UAE only for essential purposes. It also advised avoiding locations frequented by Jewish and Israeli communities and refraining from displaying Israeli symbols in public.
The killing has also fuelled speculation, with Israeli media accusing Iran of involvement. Tehran has categorically denied the allegations, with the Iranian Embassy in Abu Dhabi rejecting the claims as baseless.
UAE authorities have not commented on these accusations and emphasised the importance of the ongoing investigation.
Kogan’s death has heightened security concerns for Jewish and Israeli residents in the Gulf, overshadowing the diplomatic achievements of the Abraham Accords. Both Israeli and Emirati officials have pledged to uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice, with further updates expected as investigations progress.
