Three people have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates in connection with the alleged murder of an Israeli citizen, the Emirati interior ministry said on Sunday. The ministry statement did not give details on the suspects or say if they had been charged, but said all legal powers would be used
Three people have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates in connection with the alleged murder of an Israeli citizen, the Emirati interior ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry statement did not give details on the suspects or say if they had been charged, but said all legal powers would be used "to respond decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had denounced the killing of the rabbi, Zvi Kogan, 28, as a "heinous antisemitic terrorist act" and said Israel would do everything it could to bring those responsible to justice.
Kogan was a resident of the UAE and also a Moldovan national, according to local authorities. He worked with the New York-based Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement and was first reported missing on Thursday. His body was discovered on Sunday.
Emirati Ambassador to Washington Yousef Al Otaiba said Kogan's murder was a crime against the UAE and "an attack on our homeland, on our values and on our vision."
"We embrace peaceful coexistence. We reject extremism and fanaticism of every kind," he said in a statement released on X.
Emirati authorities have not said if they have established a motive but Israeli officials say that Kogan was targeted because he was Jewish, without providing further details.
An Israeli foreign ministry official said all Israeli agencies were involved in the investigation and that it was believed Kogan had last been seen at a Kosher supermarket in Dubai.
Kogan's body was found in the Emirati city of Al Ain, which borders Oman, though it was not clear if he was killed there or elsewhere, former Israeli politician Ayoob Kara told Reuters in Dubai.
Kara, a member of Israel's ruling right-wing Likud party who promotes economic relations between Israel and the Arab world, said there were indications that investigators suspected Iranian involvement.
The Iranian embassy in the UAE said it "categorically rejects the allegations of Iran’s involvement in the murder of this individual".
Israel reissued a recommendation to citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the UAE and said those now there should minimise movement, remain in secure areas and avoid visiting places associated with Israel and Jewish populations.
The White House said it was working in close coordination with Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
"We condemn in the strongest terms the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE and our prayers are with his family," White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
UAE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN 'SHOCK' AFTER KILLING OF RABBI
The UAE's Israeli and Jewish community has grown more visible since 2020, when the UAE became the most prominent Arab state in 30 years to establish formal ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement, dubbed the Abraham Accords.
The UAE has maintained the relationship during the 13-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
However, Israelis and Jews have been less evident in public since the devastating Hamas attack on Israeli communities of Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the Gaza conflict, which has sparked protests worldwide.
Kara said the UAE's Jewish community was in "shock" at Kogan's murder, but that Israelis and Jews would still visit, build ties and invest in the Gulf country.
"No way to stop this relationship and this cooperation," said Kara, who is not Jewish but a member of Israel's Druze minority.
Members of the Jewish community said informal synagogues in Dubai were closed after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel over security concerns, with Jews instead gathering to pray at home.
There are no official synagogues in Dubai, the UAE's biggest city and commercial hub, but the UAE's one government-approved synagogue, in Abu Dhabi, remains open.
There are no official statistics on the number of Jews or Israelis living in the UAE. Jewish groups estimate there are several thousand.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public records, a Kabul Institute report released on 22 October said. The United Nations says its oversight systems ensure accountability.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment