Jihad in the Gulf: UAE's Tolerance Tested by Brutal Murder of Jewish Leader

The United Arab Emirates named three Uzbek nationals as suspects in the killing of a Jewish community leader in the Gulf state, a murder that has raised concerns about security for Jews in the Arab world.

Israel described the killing of Israeli-Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, whose body was found Sunday, as an “act of antisemitic terrorism.” The 28-year-old was an emissary of the Jewish Chabad movement to Abu Dhabi, where he lived with his wife.

Emirati authorities said Sunday that three individuals had been arrested in connection with Kogan’s death. On Monday, they named the three suspects as Olimpi Tohirovic, 28, Mahmudjun Abdurrahim 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33.

The U.A.E., an autocratic monarchy where dissent isn’t tolerated, prides itself on religious tolerance and a business-friendly environment open to every nationality. Nine out of 10 people in the country of roughly 10 million are foreigners.

“Zvi Kogan’s murder was more than a crime in the U.A.E. it was a crime against the U.A.E.,” Yousef Al Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the U.S. who helped negotiate the diplomatic accords with Israel, wrote on X. “It was an attack on our homeland, on our values and on our vision.”

Israeli and U.A.E. authorities’ investigation into Kogan began on Thursday when he didn’t arrive at planned meetings and the people expecting him informed Rivky Kogan, his wife. She turned to the security officer of the Chabad in the Emirates who contacted local authorities for help. The U.A.E. eventually brought Israel into the investigation, the Journal reported.