Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi missing in UAE since Nov 21 in possible terror attack

An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has been missing since Nov. 21 in what Israeli authorities said was being investigated as a possible targeted attack.

Zvi Kogan was last seen on Thursday afternoon, according to a statement released on Saturday by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and National Security Council. “Since his disappearance, and on the backdrop of information that this is a terrorist attack, an extensive investigation has been launched in the country.”

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A representative of the Emirati embassy in Israel couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. The ministry of foreign affairs in the UAE released a statement, saying it is “closely monitoring the case” and “is in close contact with his family”.

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The ministry is taking extensive measures to look for the missing person, affirming that relevant authorities in the UAE have initiated search operations and investigations following the receipt of the report, state-run WAM new agency reported on Sunday.

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Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, Israel has warned its citizens traveling abroad of possible attacks on Jewish or Israeli targets by Iranian or Iran-backed operatives. It’s raised its alert level in dozens of countries, including the UAE, where Israelis have been advised to avoid all non-essential travel.