Chief Rabbi Calls Zvi Kogan’s UAE Killing a ‘Devastating Blow’ to Peace – Three Arrested.
An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, Zvi Kogan, who went missing last week in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has tragically been found dead. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis described this as a “devastating blow” to the pursuit of peace on Sunday. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Kogan had been located, stating he was killed in what they termed a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.”
Although Israeli officials did not provide specifics on how they classified the killing as a terror attack, the announcement has attracted international attention amid rising regional tensions. Kogan, 28, was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi overseeing Rimon Market, a kosher grocery store in Dubai, which has welcomed a growing number of Israeli tourists and businesses since the historic 2020 Abraham Accords.
Three individuals have now been taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates regarding the suspected murder of an Israeli national, as reported by the Emirati interior ministry on Sunday. The ministry’s announcement did not provide specifics about the suspects or indicate whether they have been formally charged, but it emphasized that all legal measures would be employed “to respond firmly and without tolerance to any actions or attempts that jeopardize societal stability.”
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His disappearance on Thursday led to a search, with the Emirati Interior Ministry noting that Kogan was “missing and out of contact,” and that “specialized authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report.” While the circumstances of Kogan’s death remain murky, Israeli leaders are committed to pursuing justice for this attack. In response, Mirvis expressed his outrage on X, formerly Twitter.
Dubai Marina
“The senseless murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan is not only a devastating blow to his family and the Jewish community in the UAE but to all who cherish the values of peace, respect, and coexistence,” he stated. Mirvis further emphasized, “This heinous act of terror also strikes at the heart of everything that the remarkable story of the young Emirati Jewish community has come to embody: a society built on mutual respect, tolerance, and peace. No act of evil will deter us from uniting against the forces of darkness that seek to divide us.” Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), also shared his condolences on X, saying, “The global Jewish community mourns Rabbi Zvi Kogan. May his memory be a blessing, and may the perpetrators of this murder soon be brought to justice.”
Netanyahu expressed his profound shock during a regular Cabinet meeting on Sunday regarding Kogan’s disappearance and death. He highlighted the importance of ongoing cooperation with the UAE, which has maintained formal relations with Israel despite the region’s instability. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the killing, thanking UAE authorities for their prompt action and expressing trust in their efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
This incident occurs amid rising tensions following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October 2023, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities, while over 44,000 Palestinians have reportedly died in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the Associated Press. The relationship between Israelis and the wider Arab world is under strain, with public sentiment in the UAE showing increasing frustration over the ongoing conflict.
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A government warning released on Sunday expressed worries about the ongoing threat to Israelis and Jews in the region. Kogan, a representative of the Chabad Lubavitch movement from Brooklyn’s Crown Heights in New York City, is remembered by his wife Rivky, a U.S. citizen who resided with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who tragically lost his life in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.