Zvi Kogan, 28, was murdered last week by Islamic terrorists in the UAE; his uncle was murdered in the 2008 Mumbai Chabad House terror attacks.

By World Israel News Staff

A Chabad rabbi who was murdered in an antisemitic terror attack in the United Arab Emirates last week was buried in Jerusalem on Monday evening.

Tzvi Kogan, 28, was a Chabad emissary in Abu Dhabi and ran Rimon Market, a kosher grocery store and deli in the Emirati city.

Kogan was originally reported missing last Wednesday, and his body was discovered several days later.

Three Uzbek nationals, who had fled to Turkey following the killing, were repatriated to the UAE and are expected to stand trial for Kogan’s murder.

The funeral began in Kfar Chabad, a town established by members of Kogan’s Jewish stream, with hundreds gathered in the streets amid pouring rain to mourn the rabbi.

The procession eventually traveled to Jerusalem, where Kogan was buried on the Mount of Olives.

“How can you already be gone?” Kogan’s father, Alexander, said at the funeral.

“Zvi was innocent, and that’s how he arrives in heaven,” he added.

“When a part of your body is cut off, it hurts. We had part of our souls cut off. It’s painful. We are small people and do not understand God’s ways,” the victim’s father continued.

“We must fill in that which is missing. We must be like Zvi. Look for what others need. Maybe this is what God wants from us now.”

“Dear Zvi, let us wake up and tell us this is a bad dream. You never hurt a fly. You only helped, aided and brought joy,” said Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi of Chabad Rishon LeTzion.

“You fell like a soldier at his post. When they wanted to hurt the Jewish people, they knew whom to attack. They attacked our soul, which you exemplified with your generosity.”

Kogan is not the first person in his family to be murdered by Islamic terrorists.

In 2008, Kogan’s uncle Gavriel Holtzberg was murdered in the Mumbai Chabad House terror attacks.

Kogan wore his uncle’s suit at his own wedding, just two years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Rivky, parents, and siblings.

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Kogan is believed to have been kidnapped and murdered by an Uzbek cell operating on behalf of Iran.

By JNS

The Emirati interior ministry announced on Sunday night that it has arrested “the three perpetrators involved in the murder of Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan national according to his identification documents at the time of entry into the UAE, where he lived as a resident.”

The United Arab Emirates “strongly rejects any threat to societal security as Emirati authorities arrest perpetrators in Moldovan citizen’s murder in record time,” the ministry stated.

The ministry “reiterated the UAE’s unwavering capability to decisively address any attempts to undermine the security and stability of its society” and “explained that upon receiving a missing person report from the victim’s family, a specialized search and investigation team was promptly assembled.”

“This led to the discovery of the victim’s body, the identification and arrest of the perpetrators and the initiation of the necessary legal procedures,” it said, adding that it will disclose more details when the investigation is concluded.

JNS sought comment from the Emirati embassy in Washington to ask if the country is currently in a position to guarantee the safety of Jews, including Israelis.

The Emirati ministry “affirmed that the UAE and its institutions are fully committed to safeguarding the safety and security of its citizens, residents and visitors,” it stated on social media. “The nation’s security apparatus maintains the highest standards of security and safety, which have been fundamental to the UAE since its founding.”

The ministry didn’t state in its post that the victim is a Chabad rabbi.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of Chabad, stated on Sunday that “the worldwide Chabad community and the international Jewish community at large are shocked, grieving and outraged.”

“Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a young Chabad emissary, was kidnapped and murdered in cold blood last week while serving the Jewish community in the UAE,” Krinsky stated. “Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries serve in countries around the globe in a spirit of generosity and kindness. Wherever they are stationed to grow and sustain Jewish life, they benefit the larger community as well with their love and light for all humanity.”

“It is incumbent upon the authorities of every country where Chabad representatives serve in good faith, to ensure that terror finds no haven within its borders. The targeting of Rabbi Kogan was an attempt to destroy the sacred Jewish values that he represented: light, goodness and kindness,” he added. “No country, no community, no society can afford the loss of these sustaining values.”

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Sunday morning that Kogan’s body had been found by UAE intelligence and security services.

“The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism. The State of Israel will use all means and will deal with the criminals responsible for his death,” read the PMO statement, which was also issued on behalf of Jerusalem’s Foreign Ministry.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News, Kogan is believed to have been kidnapped and murdered by an Uzbek cell operating on behalf of Iran. His body was discovered in Al-Ain, an inland oasis city on the eastern border with Oman. The authorities found signs of violence on the body, and there were also indications of a struggle in Kogan’s vehicle.

Kogan was found in his car in Al-Ain, with his phone turned off. Initial investigations revealed that three Uzbeks followed him after he left a supermarket, and they are suspected of being responsible for his murder. The use of Uzbek militants by Tehran is a known tactic.

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