Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, an assistant rabbi for a growing Jewish community in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was pronounced dead Sunday morning, believed to have been killed by three Iranian agents who fled from Uzbekistan to Turkey. .
The Chabad organization acknowledged his death and called on people to perform good deeds, or mitzvahs, in his memory.
Rabbi Kogan had been missing since Thursday. Israeli authorities contacted his relatives on Friday. There are reportedly concerns among Israeli officials, especially after Rabbi Kogan's car, believed to be driven by the assailant, was reportedly stopped for speeding on the way to Oman. He was reportedly dissatisfied with the slowness of the investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued the following statement:
UAE intelligence and security authorities have discovered the body of Zvi Kogan, who had been missing since Thursday, November 21, 2024.
The Israeli mission in Abu Dhabi has been in contact with the family since the beginning of the event and continues to provide support during this difficult time. His family in Israel also received updates.
The murder of Zvi Kogan is a memorable and disgusting act of anti-Semitic terrorism. The State of Israel will use all means to deal with the criminals responsible for his death to the fullest extent of the law.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the terrorist attack “will not deter us from continuing to grow thriving communities in the UAE and everywhere, especially with the help of the dedicated dedication and work of Chabad envoys around the world.” No,” he added.
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Hasidic movement that reaches out to Jews of all backgrounds and is synonymous with sizable Jewish communities throughout the world.
Rabbi Kogan's murder occurred nearly 16 years before the Islamist terrorist attack on Chabad House in Mumbai, India. Rabbi Kogan was related to Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the attack, the Times of Israel reported. report.
The killings also dealt a major blow to the UAE's image as a safe and tolerant country. And it shows that Iran has returned to purely anti-Semitic terrorist attacks rather than attacks against Israel or Israelis.
Israel normalized diplomatic relations with the UAE in 2020 based on the Abraham Accords. Since then, Jewish communities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have flourished. The country's first synagogue recently opened in Abu Dhabi's Abraham Family House.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
