UAE names suspects in killing of Jewish community leader

Nov 25, 2024

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

The United Arab Emirates named three Uzbek nationals as suspects in the killing of Zvi Kogan, a Jewish community leader whose body was found Sunday, Nov. 24. Emirati authorities identified the suspects as 28-year-olds Olimpi Tohirovic and Mahmudjun Abdurrahim, and 33-year-old Azizbek Kamilovich. All three have been arrested, and legal proceedings are underway, according to officials.

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Kogan, a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan citizen and emissary of the Chabad movement, went missing Thursday, Nov. 21, in Dubai. He was later found dead in Al Ain, near the border with Oman. Emirati state-run WAM news agency released blurred images of the suspects in handcuffs and prison uniforms, with their faces concealed by black masks.

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Israeli investigators, working with Emirati authorities, believe the suspects may have been hired assassins, though those who orchestrated the killing remain unidentified. Early suspicions of Iranian involvement have been denied by Tehran’s embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the killing, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terrorist attack.” He vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice and praised Emirati cooperation in the investigation.

The UAE condemned the killing. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba described it as an attack on the nation’s values of coexistence and tolerance. Kogan’s death raised concerns about the safety of Jewish communities in the Gulf state. Those communities had become more visible following the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and the UAE.

Statement from Ambassador Al Otaiba: “Today the UAE mourns for Rabbi Zvi Kogan. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and community over his senseless death. (1/4)
— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) November 24, 2024

The murder has unsettled the UAE’s small but growing Jewish community. Synagogues in Dubai remain closed amid heightened security concerns since the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, while the government-approved synagogue in Abu Dhabi remains open. Jewish leaders reported that informal gatherings have shifted to private homes for safety reasons.

Israel’s National Security Council has renewed travel warnings for Israeli citizens in the UAE and urged them to limit movement, avoid public displays of Jewish or Israeli identity and stay in secure areas.

The killing also comes amid escalating regional tensions. Israel has intensified its campaign against Iranian-linked groups following the Gaza war, raising concerns about potential reprisals abroad. Similar incidents of attempted attacks on Israeli nationals have been reported in other countries, including Turkey.

The body of Kogan, who also managed a kosher grocery store in Dubai, has been returned to Israel for burial.

Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, Dubai, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Jewish, United Arab Emirates

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HAS NAMED THREE UZBEK NATIONALS AS SUSPECTS IN THE KILLING OF ZVI KOGAN, A JEWISH COMMUNITY LEADER AND CHABAD EMISSARY IN ABU DHABI. THE 28-YEAR-OLD, AN ISRAELI-MOLDOVAN CITIZEN, WENT MISSING IN DUBAI LAST WEEK — HIS BODY WAS FOUND SUNDAY.

EMIRATI AUTHORITIES SAY THEY HAVE BEGUN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE SUSPECTS, RELEASING IMAGES OF THE MEN IN HANDCUFFS AND PRISON UNIFORMS WITH THEIR FACES OBSCURED.

ISRAEL’S MOSSAD JOINED THE INVESTIGATION AFTER KOGAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, SUSPECTING THE MEN WERE HIRED ASSASSINS. WHILE INITIAL CONCERNS POINTED TO IRANIAN INVOLVEMENT, TEHRAN HAS DENIED ANY CONNECTION.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CONDEMNED THE MURDER AS AN ANTISEMITIC TERRORIST ATTACK AND VOWED JUSTICE FOR KOGAN. THE KILLING HAS RAISED CONCERNS WITHIN THE UAE’S JEWISH COMMUNITY, WHICH GREW AFTER THE 2020 ABRAHAM ACCORDS ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH ISRAEL. EMIRATI OFFICIALS STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE ACT AS AN ATTACK ON THE UAE’S VALUES OF TOLERANCE AND COEXISTENCE.

THIS INCIDENT COMES AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS FOLLOWING THE GAZA WAR AND ISRAEL’S ONGOING CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRANIAN-LINKED GROUPS. ISRAEL HAS WARNED ITS CITIZENS OF INCREASED RISKS ABROAD, ADVISING AGAINST NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TO THE REGION.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALSO CONDEMNED THE KILLING AND PLEDGED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH BOTH ISRAEL AND THE UAE TO ENSURE JUSTICE.