Breaking
RABBI DEATH
Three arrested as rabbi’s body found days after he vanished in UAE – as Israel claims his murder was ‘terror incident’
Israelis were urged to only travel to the UAE if essential
THREE suspects have been arrested over the alleged murder of an Israeli Rabbi who went missing in Dubai.
The body of Israeli-Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, 28, was found on Saturday - two days after he had been reported missing.
1
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the rabbi was murdered in an act he said was a "heinous anti-Semitic terror incident".
The country's intelligence agency Mossad is investigating the disappearance after receiving information regarding a "terrorist incident".
The UAE's Ministry of Interior said in a statement today: "In record time, the competent UAE authorities arrested the perpetrators of the murder of the Moldovan citizen and confirmed that the UAE is invincible to anyone who dares to disturb the security of society.
"The United Arab Emirates, with all its institutions, will spare no effort to prevent any attack on its citizens, residents and visitors, and all security agencies work around the clock to protect the stability of society and ensure the sustainability of the highest levels of security and safety that have been established since the founding of the state.
Read more world news
An investigation including the formal identification of the body is now underway.
An Israeli official told Reuters that his body will "hopefully be repatriated to Israel on Monday but it is not confirmed".
Kogan's family previously said they had not heard from him since Wednesday.
He had been working for the Chabad movement in Abu Dhabi since late 2020 - when the UAE recognised Israel as a state.
Most read in The Sun
Israeli foreign ministry said the rabbi was last seen at a Kosher supermarket in Dubai.
The Israeli prime minister's office said: "The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death."
An earlier statement read: "Mossad has updated that since his disappearance, and given information indicating that this is a terrorist incident, an active investigation has been going on in the country.
"Israeli security and intelligence organizations, concerned for Kogan's safety and wellbeing, have been working tirelessly on this case."
The prime minister's office also reminded citizens that the National Security Council advises Israelis to only travel to the United Arab Emirates for essential reasons.
They said: "It should be noted that the National Security Council previously issued a Level 3 travel warning (moderate threat) for the UAE, advising against non-essential travel and recommending heightened precautions for those currently in the country."
A government travel advisory notice also warned Israelis: "In major cities or locations where demonstrations or protests are taking place, conceal anything that could identify you as Israeli or Jewish."
Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
State-run media in the UAE, a federation of seven regions run by Sheiks on the Arabian Peninsula, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident.
The UAE diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020, a deal they've honoured even as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon grind on.
While the Israeli message did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out kidnappings in the past in the UAE.
In the early hours of November 24, a gunman was shot dead and three police officers injured after a shooting near the Israeli embassy in Jordan.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Cops shot the attacker who fired at a police patrol in the affluent Rabiah area of the Jordanian capital Amman, according to state media.
It was described as a "terror attack" by a Jordanian official.
What is the Chabad movement?
BY Vera Demertzis, Foreign News Reporter
The Chabad movement is a Hasidic Jewish organisation that focuses on religious concepts like the soul, God, and the meaning of Jewish commandments.
It was established in 1775 by Rabbi Shneur Zalman in what is now Belarus. It is one of the largest Jewish organisation outposts.
Chabad practices are generally consistent with those of the wider Orthodox world, but the group does have some unique practices.
As of 2021, Chabad claimed 4,900 emissary families operating 3,500 institutions in 100 countries and territories.
Chabad operates not only in major urban areas, but even in smaller cities and rural areas.
Topics