Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Chabad shliach stationed in Abu Dhabi, has been unaccounted for since Thursday, raising concerns among Israeli security agencies that he may have been kidnapped or killed.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Rabbi Kogan’s disappearance and revealed that authorities are treating the situation as a potential terrorist act.

The statement also noted that the Mossad has launched an “extensive” investigation into the incident, working in collaboration with security officials in the UAE.

Concurrently, the National Security Council reiterated its long-standing recommendation against non-essential travel to the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns.

The UAE’s interior ministry released a statement acknowledging its active search for Rabbi Kogan, though it did not reference his Israeli nationality.

According to Ynet, security officials are increasingly convinced that Rabbi Kogan was murdered. Meanwhile, Walla reported that Israeli intelligence believes he was under surveillance by Iranian operatives, citing anonymous security sources.

Ynet further reported that Rabbi Kogan’s car was located abandoned in Al Ain, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Abu Dhabi, his primary base of operations. The report, which did not attribute its claims to specific sources, suggested that Uzbek nationals may have attacked the rabbi and subsequently escaped to Turkey.

Rabbi Kogan holds dual citizenship in Israel and Moldova. He has been affiliated with the Chabad chapter in Abu Dhabi since Israel formalized diplomatic ties with the UAE in late 2020. He participated in the Gulf state’s inaugural Holocaust remembrance ceremony in 2021, where he recited Yizkor.

Channel 12 reported that Rabbi Kogan is a nephew of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who, along with his wife, was tragically killed in a terrorist attack at the Nariman Chabad House in Mumbai in 2008.

Rabbi Kogan has also worked closely with Rabbi Levi Duchman, the Chief Rabbi of the UAE, serving as one of his aides.

The UAE established official diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the U.S.-mediated Abraham Accords, becoming the most prominent Arab nation to do so in over three decades. The relationship has persisted despite ongoing conflict, including Israel’s recent 13-month war in Gaza.

Israel remains on heightened alert for potential Iranian threats targeting Israeli and Jewish individuals worldwide.

{Matzav.com Israel}