JERUSALEM – Israel on Nov 24 condemned the murder of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in the United Arab Emirates, calling it anti-Semitic “terrorism” and vowing to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

       The body of Mr Tzvi Kogan, who had been missing since Nov 21, was found by security services in the Gulf Arab state, said the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministry in a joint statement.

       “The murder of Tzvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is a heinous act of anti-Semitic terrorism,” it said, adding that Israel would do everything in its power “to ensure that justice is served and that those responsible for his death are held accountable”.

       Mr Kogan was a representative of the Chabad Hasidic movement, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group known for its outreach efforts worldwide.

       Israeli officials did not provide any details about the circumstances of his murder.

       The UAE, which normalised relations with Israel in 2020 alongside other countries, including Bahrain and Morocco, has yet to confirm his death.

       Mr Netanyahu’s office had said on Nov 23 that Israel was investigating Mr Kogan’s disappearance in the UAE as a “terrorist incident”.

       “This vile anti-Semitic attack is a reminder of the inhumanity of the enemies of the Jewish people,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said.

       Mr Herzog said the murder would not “deter us from continuing to grow flourishing communities in the UAE or anywhere”.

       Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the killing as a “cowardly and despicable anti-Semitic terrorist crime” in a post on social media platform X.

       The Israeli authorities reissued their recommendation against all non-essential travel to the UAE and said visitors who are currently there should minimise movement and remain in secure areas.

       On Nov 24, a UAE official said the Foreign Ministry was in touch with Mr Kogan’s family and the Moldovan embassy in Abu Dhabi.

       But Emirati officials have since not said anything about Mr Kogan’s murder.

       In a message on X, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement that Mr Kogan belonged to expressed its “great pain” alongside a photo of the rabbi, adding that he was “murdered by terrorists”.

       The UAE, which is made up of seven emirates, prides itself on being a tolerant and safe country for residents and visitors.

       The oil-rich Gulf state, whose population is made up mainly of expatriates, opened an inter-faith centre in 2023 in the capital Abu Dhabi, housing a mosque, a church and a synagogue.

       But the war in Gaza triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, has sparked rising anger in the Middle East.

       In Jordan, a man was killed on Nov 24 after opening fire on and wounding three members of the security forces near the Israeli embassy in the capital Amman, state media said, in an incident described by the government spokesman as a “terrorist attack”.

       Investigations were under way to uncover the circumstances and motives behind the attack. AFP, REUTERS