Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad emissary based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was murdered by terrorists after being abducted in Dubai on Thursday afternoon.

Tragically, Kogan’s body was recovered by the Emirati authorities early Sunday morning, and his family was notified.

This comes after security and intelligence agencies from a number of countries began a coordinated intensive investigation to locate him.

The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Interior confirmed that it was investigating Kogan’s disappearance and the office of the prime minister of Israel released a statement saying that information points to the disappearance being a terror-related incident. Israeli security agencies have joined Emirati officials in working to locate the Chabad rabbi.

Kogan, a dual Israeli-Moldovan citizen, worked alongside Rabbi Levi Duchman, Rabbi to the United Arab Emirates, and other Chabad emissaries for several years in establishing and expanding Jewish life in the Emirates. Among the many milestones was the founding of the first Jewish education center in the Gulf, and making kosher food widely available. Kogan was joined by his wife, Rivky, after their marriage in 2022.

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