Rabbi who went missing in UAE was murdered, Israel says

Israel says a rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been murdered, and have vowed to track down his killers.

“The murder of Zvi Kogan is a criminal antisemitic terrorist incident. The State of Israel will act in all of its abilities to bring to justice the criminals responsible for his death,” the PM’s office said following news on Sunday that the rabbi's body had been found.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder, the UAE's interior ministry confirmed on Sunday evening.

Rabbi Kogan, an envoy of the orthodox Jewish organisation Chabad Lubavitch, had been missing in Dubai since Thursday sparking a investigation from Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and UAE authorities.

Israeli officials have been in contact with the family of the Israeli-Moldovan national, since he went missing, the Israeli statement continued.

The recovery of Zvi Kogan's body comes after his abandoned car was found an hour's drive away from his home.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also called his murder "a vile, antisemitic attack".

Mossad investigators are working to identify those responsible for the rabbi's death.

Chabad is a religious foundation that seeks to build links with non-affiliated and secular Jews or other sects of Judaism. The group's branch in the UAE supports thousands of Jewish visitors and residents, according to its website.

Rabbi Kogan, 28, worked with other Chabad emissaries "in establishing and expanding Jewish life in the Emirates", the organisation says. He also managed a kosher supermarket in Dubai.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of Chabad Lubavitch said: "We trust that the UAE will work with the countries in the region to bring the perpetrators to justice, and hold all those involved accountable for this act of sheer evil."

The Israeli government's travel advisory service warns citizens to only travel to the UAE for "essential reasons", as they say there is "terrorist activity" in the UAE, which constitutes "a real risk to Israelis who are staying/visiting in the country".

Abu Dhabi established formal ties with Israel under an agreement brokered by the US, known as the Abraham Accords.

It has maintained the relationship during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Additional reporting by Ruth Comerford.