UAE authorities on Sunday identified the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad emissary in Abu Dhabi who had been missing since Thursday and was believed to have been kidnapped and murdered by an Uzbek terrorist cell acting under orders from Iran.
"The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism. 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," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement.
Rabbi Zvi Kogan
(Video: Dudi Keppler)
The National Security Council issued a warning to Israelis in or traveling to the UAE to exercise caution after the murder. They are advised to avoid crowded events identified as having Jewish and local participants, keep on alert in public places such as restaurants, avoid obvious Israeli markings, avoid posting travel plans on social media and cooperate with local authorities and immediately report any suspected terrorist presence.
Kogan was last seen on Thursday. Mossad announced an "intense" investigation in the Emirates after confirming that his disappearance was a terrorist act. It is believed Iran used an Uzbek cell to abduct and murder Kogan, aiming to maintain "plausible deniability." The identities of the suspects are known.
Kogan served as a soldier in the IDF's Givati Brigade and was an aide to Rabbi Levi Duchman, the chief rabbi of the Jewish community in the country. His family last heard from him on Wednesday, and according to Mossad, he was last seen in Dubai on Thursday afternoon. After missing scheduled meetings and failing to make contact, his wife alerted the Chabad House's security officer, who then informed the authorities, and Israel was updated on the situation.
Kogan drove to Al Ain, an inland oasis city on the eastern border with Oman, about an hour and a half from Dubai, where his car was found abandoned with signs of struggle identified inside, and his phone was turned off. An initial probe indicated that three Uzbek nationals followed him after he left the kosher supermarket he managed in Dubai and are suspected of murdering him. The use of Uzbek Shiite operatives by Tehran is quite common.
Israeli authorities are aware the suspects flew to Turkey, and Israeli security services will collaborate with Turkish authorities to pursue leads. An Israeli delegation has been sent to the UAE to manage the investigation.
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Kogan married six months ago, and his wife is the niece of Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg, a Chabad emissary murdered in Mumbai in 2008. An Israeli living in Abu Dhabi who knew Kogan described him as "a nice guy who was very active in the community. His family is devastated, and the Israeli and Jewish communities are shocked. Kogan was an aide to the chief Chabad rabbi in the Emirates and also established and managed the community's kosher supermarket."
Following the incident, the National Security Council has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Israeli travelers to avoid nonessential trips to the country, avoid announcing upcoming trips on social media, be mindful of the surroundings and avoid displaying overtly Israeli or Jewish signs on one's person.