United Arab Emirates’ DUBAI As tensions with Iran remain high, Israeli authorities raised the possibility on Saturday that an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who was living in the United Arab Emirates may have been abducted.
Unnamed security sources cited by Israeli media suggested that Zvi Kogan, who has been missing since Thursday midday, might have been abducted. Without providing further details, the Israeli prime minister’s office reported Kogan’s disappearance on Saturday night.
His absence coincides with Iran’s threats of retaliation against Israel following an October strike that targeted Israel’s sensitive military installations. Amid the Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon and the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, Tehran has launched missile attacks on Israel twice.
A request for comment on Saturday was not immediately answered by Emirati officials. The incident was not immediately reported by state-run media in the United Arab Emirates, an authoritarian federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula that is home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In the United Arab Emirates, local Jewish officials chose not to comment.
According to the prime minister’s office, a thorough inquiry has been launched nationwide since Kogan’s abduction and in light of reports that this was a terrorist event. Concerned about Zvi Kogan’s safety and well-being, Israeli security and intelligence services are working nonstop.
Although Iran was not mentioned in the Israeli communication, Iranian intelligence agents have previously abducted people in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Western officials, Iran monitors the hundreds of thousands of Iranians residing in the United Arab Emirates and conducts intelligence operations there.
Although Tehran has denied participation, Iran is accused of kidnapping and killing British-Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013. Additionally, in 2020, Iran abducted Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd from Dubai and brought him back to Tehran, where he was put to death in October.
Kogan’s disappearance was not immediately acknowledged by Iranian state media.
In 2020, the UAE granted Israel diplomatic recognition. Since then, Israelis have visited the UAE for vacations and commercial establishments.Due to the wars, several airlines have ceased operating to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, making Emirati Airlines a vital conduit between Israel and the rest of the globe.
With synagogues and establishments serving kosher food, the UAE also has a growing Jewish community. However, Emiratis, Arabs, and other UAE residents are deeply incensed over the Middle East wars.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!