Fresh information has come to light regarding the disappearance of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary based in Abu Dhabi, according to Arutz Sheva.

Rabbi Kogan serves as an assistant to Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Duchman, the chief rabbi of the UAE. Before the incident, both rabbis were in Israel, where they met with Yossi Shelley, Israel’s incoming ambassador to the UAE.

Reports suggest that Rabbi Kogan may have been targeted by three individuals of Uzbek origin, allegedly hired by Iran, Arutz Sheva reports. These suspects are believed to have followed him from his workplace at the kosher supermarket in Abu Dhabi. After the attack, they reportedly fled to Turkey. Rabbi Kogan’s car was discovered a significant distance from Dubai, approximately 90 minutes away.

A source familiar with the Emirati authorities spoke to Israel’s Channel 12 News, expressing the gravity of the situation: “There is a lot of shock and anger after the disappearance of the Chabad emissary Zvi Kogan. It follows several years in which there were no unusual or nationalist security incidents. The government system hopes to bring the solution to the mystery and good news. Senior religious figures, and the government, are working to confirm [the details] of the incident and clarify it.”

According to i24NEWS, Rabbi Kogan was reported missing after he failed to attend scheduled meetings. When his wife lost contact with him, she alerted the Chabad House’s security chief, who immediately involved local authorities. The Israeli government was also informed. Reports indicate that Rabbi Kogan’s car received a speeding ticket en route to Oman, yet neither UAE nor Omani authorities took immediate action. The delay in response has reportedly frustrated Israeli officials, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar eventually intervening to push for action.

An Israeli source speaking to Kan 11 referred to the incident as a “terrorist” kidnapping.

Additional Details Emerge

According to Arutz Sheva, the incident may have been caught on surveillance cameras, given the extensive network of public cameras in the UAE. Witnesses reported that shortly after the start of Shabbos on Friday evening, Israeli police and security personnel visited Rabbi Kogan’s parents’ home in Ramat Shlomo to discuss the situation.

Journalist Yossi Elituv of Mishpacha magazine revealed that Rabbi Kogan oversees property management for Jewish communities in the UAE under the auspices of Chabad. He is also married to a niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, the Chabad emissary tragically murdered in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Rabbi Kogan’s older brother, Rabbi Reuven Kogan, is closely tied to Rabbi Levi Duchman, as his brother-in-law. Reb Reuven manages logistical and administrative operations for the UAE’s Jewish communities and plays a pivotal role alongside Rabbi Duchman in sustaining Jewish life in the region.

Elituv also highlighted that the Kogan brothers grew up in a Litvishe chareidi family in Yerushalayim and later became connected to Chabad. Over the years, they have become central figures in the UAE’s Jewish community. “It seems that there is concern of sharing details which are better known to the local government, in which everything is documented. May we hear about a miracle very soon,” Elituv said.

Rabbi Kogan’s Torah education began in Litvishe chareidi institutions. As a teenager, he learned at Yeshiva Maoz Chayil and later attended Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer in Bnei Brak before moving on to Yeshivas Mir.

All are asked to daven for Tzvi ben Ettil.

{Matzav.com}