The body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in Abu Dhabi has been found, Israel has said.
Zvi Kogan, the Chabad representative in the United Arab Emirates, went missing on Thursday.
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Mr Kogan was murdered, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident”.
“The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death,” it said.
On Saturday, Israeli intelligence agency Mossad said it was investigating the disappearance.
The Emirati government gave no immediate acknowledgment that Mr Kogan had been found dead. Its interior ministry has described the rabbi as being “missing and out of contact”.
“Specialised authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said.
The rabbi lived in the UAE with his wife Rivky, who is a US citizen.
The Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism, said Mr Kogan was last seen in Dubai.
The rabbi’s disappearance comes as Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October.
While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE, where Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations.
The UAE diplomatically recognised Israel in 2020. Since then, Israelis have come to the UAE to set up businesses and vacation.
Since then, synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners have been set up for the burgeoning Jewish community but the unrest in the Middle East has sparked deep anger in the country.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
