Israeli authorities have confirmed the death of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who had been missing since Thursday, November 21st, 2024, in Abu Dhabi.

A joint statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, released on X, announced that UAE authorities had discovered Rabbi Kogan’s body. The statement noted that the Israeli mission in Abu Dhabi has been supporting his family and continues to offer assistance. His family in Israel has been informed.

The statement condemned Rabbi Kogan’s murder as a heinous act of antisemitic terrorism, vowing to pursue those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.

Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was a resident of Abu Dhabi and a citizen of both Moldova and Israel.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked as a recruiter and was actively involved in community service.

Following his disappearance on Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office initiated an investigation, initially characterizing the event as a potential terrorist incident.

The UAE Ministry of Interior had previously confirmed an investigation into Kogan’s disappearance, referring to him solely as a Moldovan national.

Rabbi Kogan’s wife, Rivky, a U.S. citizen, resided with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was murdered in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.