JERUSALEM/DUBAI – An Israeli man who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found murdered, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday, calling his death a case of “violent anti-Semitism.” It was condemned as an act of terrorism.
Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who worked for an Orthodox Jewish organization called Chabad in the Gulf Arab country, went missing in Dubai on Thursday.
“The State of Israel will do everything possible to bring to justice the criminals responsible for his death,” the prime minister said in a statement.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately comment on the news that Kogan, who also held Moldovan citizenship, had been found dead. Chabad’s office in the United Arab Emirates declined to comment.
Chabad seeks to forge connections with unaffiliated secular Jews and other sects of Judaism. According to the group’s website, its branches in the United Arab Emirates serve thousands of Jewish visitors and residents.
Israeli authorities have reissued an advisory against non-essential travel to the UAE, requiring visitors currently visiting the UAE to minimize their movements, stay in safe areas and travel to the UAE for any travel related to Israel or Jews. He said people should avoid visiting businesses, gathering places and entertainment venues.
The UAE’s Israeli and Jewish communities have established formal relations with Israel under a US-brokered agreement known as the Abraham Accords since 2020, making the country the most prominent Arab state in the past 30 years. , became even more prominent.
The UAE has maintained ties throughout the 13-month Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.
However, since the devastating cross-border attack by Hamas against the Israeli community that triggered the Gaza conflict on October 7, 2023, the public presence of Israelis and Jews in the UAE has receded. It appears that this is the case, and protests are erupting around the world.
Unofficial synagogues in Dubai were closed after the Oct. 7 attack due to security concerns, Jewish community members told Reuters, and Jews instead turned to them for prayers and Shabbat services. They met in small groups at each other’s homes.
The UAE’s only government-approved synagogue remains open in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Dubai, the largest city and commercial center of the United Arab Emirates, has no official synagogue.
There are no official statistics on the number of Jews or Israelis living in the country, but Jewish organizations estimate the community numbers in the thousands.
Jews have lived in the UAE for decades, largely practicing their faith in secret until the government began publicly recognizing their presence in 2019.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
