Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi Found Dead in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced on Sunday that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, Zvi Kogan, has been discovered following what the government has termed a «heinous antisemitic terror incident.» Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel «will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.»

Zvi Kogan had been missing since Thursday, amid concerns that he may have been kidnapped. His disappearance has occurred against a backdrop of increased tensions in the region after recent exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran in October. However, the Israeli statement did not explicitly mention Iran regarding this particular incident.

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) state-run news agency, WAM, acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance early on Sunday but referred to him only as Moldovan, without acknowledging his Israeli citizenship. The UAE’s Interior Ministry reported that «specialized authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report.»

Kogan’s wife, Rivky, a U.S. citizen, resides in the UAE. She is notably related to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, a victim of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Chabad Lubavitch movement, a notable branch of Orthodox Judaism, identified Kogan as an emissary for their organization. He was last seen in Dubai and managed Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store located on Al Wasl Road, which remained closed on Sunday.

Iranian intelligence operations in the UAE have historically been a concern, with previous incidents involving the kidnapping of individuals in Dubai. In 2013, Iranian British national Abbas Yazdi was kidnapped and later killed, and Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd was abducted in 2020 and taken back to Tehran. Iran has denied involvement in these incidents, yet suspicions remain.

The UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms, holds a growing Jewish community and businesses that cater to kosher diners, despite ongoing Mideast conflicts potentially fuelling tensions. Local Jewish officials have refrained from making public statements regarding Kogan’s case.