Rabbi Zvi Kogan. Photo: Chabad.
On 21 November, in the morning, Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, who lived in the United Arab Emirates, left his home as usual. He drove to the Rimon kosher supermarket in Dubai, where he worked, and exchanged messages with a friend with whom he had planned to spend the weekend. But then he disappeared. The rabbi did not show up for a dental appointment, and his wife Rivka, concerned about his absence, immediately contacted the local Jewish community. Later, Chabad, the police and the embassy joined the search. This was reported by the news portal Time Ukraine Israel, citing Israeli Channel 9.
The kidnapping and the kidnappers’ plans
At the time of the rabbi’s disappearance, his abductors were already taking him across the border to neighbouring Oman. According to preliminary data, the attackers planned to take Kogan out of the UAE, but circumstances that arose on the way suddenly changed their plans. According to sources close to the investigation, the perpetrators not only failed to carry out their intentions, but also executed the order with brutality that shocked not only the community but the entire world.
Murder with particular cruelty
The police found the rabbi’s body, along with his car, in the UAE, near the border. The killers, according to the investigation, three suspects from Uzbekistan, intended to take the victim across the border to Oman. However, when their plans were thwarted, they carried out the murder with particular cruelty, eliminating a witness.
Reaction to the murder
This tragic murder shocked the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates, which became the first Jewish community in the Arab world after the conclusion of the Abrahamic Accords between Israel and the UAE. These agreements normalised diplomatic relations between the Gulf states and Israel, and for many Jews this was an important step in their return to the Middle East. Rabbi Zvi Kogan was an integral part of this community. He ran a kosher supermarket and regularly helped provide Shabbat dinners for local families.
Shock for family and friends
The rabbi himself never considered his life in the UAE to be dangerous. For four years, he became an integral part of the local Jewish community, and his ordinary life became an example of how harmony between the Arab world and Jewish communities is possible. His death was not only a tragedy for his family, but also a terrible blow to the entire Jewish community.
International reaction
Israel immediately reacted to the incident, calling it an act of anti-Semitic terrorism. The UAE’s Ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Oteiba, said that this was an attack on his country’s core values, including freedom of religion. Many international figures have expressed their outrage, including former White House adviser Jared Kushner, who, together with his wife Ivanka Trump, announced a one million dollar donation to Habad in the UAE. This gesture became a symbol of solidarity and support for the Jewish community.
This murder not only shocked the Jewish community, but also made the whole world think about the danger of terrorism and anti-Semitism, which, unfortunately, has not disappeared even in today’s globalised world.
