TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel said Sunday that the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found after he was killed in what it described as a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.”
The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel “will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death.” There was no immediate comment from the UAE.
Zvi Kogan, 28, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Thursday, ran a Kosher grocery store in the futuristic city of Dubai, where Israelis have flocked for commerce and tourism since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The agreement has held through more than a year of soaring regional tensions unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into southern Israel. But Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon, after months of fighting with the Hezbollah militant group, have stoked anger among Emiratis, Arab nationals and others living in the the UAE.
Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, has also been threatening to retaliate against Israel after a wave of airstrikes Israel carried out in October in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack.
The Emirati government did not respond to a request for comment.
Early Sunday, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance but pointedly did not acknowledge he held Israeli citizenship, referring to him only as being Moldovan. The Emirati Interior Ministry described Kogan as being “missing and out of contact.”
“Specialized authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said.
Netanyahu told a regular Cabinet meeting later Sunday that he was “deeply shocked” by Kogan's disappearance and death. He said he appreciated the cooperation of the UAE in the investigation and said that ties between the two countries would continue to be strengthened.
Israel's largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the killing and thanked Emirati authorities for "their swift action." He said he trusts they “will work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Kogan was an emissary of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism based in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood in New York City. It said he was last seen in Dubai. The UAE has a burgeoning Jewish community, with synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners.
The Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store that Kogan managed on Dubai’s busy Al Wasl Road, was shut Sunday. As the wars have roiled the region, the store has been the target of online protests by supporters of the Palestinians. Mezuzahs on the front and the back doors of the market appeared to have been ripped off when an Associated Press journalist stopped by on Sunday.
Kogan’s wife, Rivky, is a U.S. citizen who lived with him in the UAE. She is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The UAE is an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and is also home to Abu Dhabi. Local Jewish officials in the UAE declined to comment.
While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE.
Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country.
Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement. Iran also kidnapped Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran, where he was executed in October.
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A man walks past Rimon Market, a Kosher grocery store managed by the late Rabbi Zvi Kogan, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Yashasvi Jaiswal's brilliant 161 and an unbeaten 100 by Virat Kohli had India sniffing victory in the opening Border-Gavaskar test after setting Australia an unlikely target of 534 runs at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Australia slumped to 12-3 at stumps on the third day in the face of taking on the highest-ever run chase for victory in test cricket.
Fast bowler and captain Jasprit Bumrah (2-1) drew first blood and trapped debutante opener Nathan McSweeney (0) lbw with the fourth delivery that kept low. Then off the last ball of the day, Bumrah trapped Marnus Labuschagne (3) lbw with another delivery that hardly bounced.
In between, nightwatchman and skipper Pat Cummins lasted eight balls before he edged fast bowler Mohamed Siraj to Kohli at second slip.
Bumrah picked up where he left off in the Australian first innings when he took 5-30 to bundle out the hosts for 104. This was after India was bowled out for 150 after winning the toss as 17 wickets tumbled on the first day.
Kohli swept legspinner Labuschagne for his eighth boundary to bring up his 30th century in his 119th test as India declared on 487-6 leaving Australia 190 overs over two days to secure an unlikely win.
India last won a test in Perth at the WACA ground in 2018.
It was also Kohli’s first century in 16 innings since July 2023 and came off 143 balls and also included two sixes. He shared a rollicking 76 runs for the seventh wicket with Nitesh Kumar Reddy who was unbeaten on 38.
With Perth temperature soaring to 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) the pitch was showing signs of early deterioration with cracks emerging and the odd ball keeping low making batting appear increasingly difficult.
India resuming on a well-placed 275-1 after lunch and progressed to 359-5 at tea as the post lunch session produced just 84 runs for the loss of four wickets.
India briefly lost its way in the session when it lost 4-46 including 3-8 in the space of six balls. That included Jaiswal who clubbed medium paceman Mitchell Marsh but to his dismay had Steve Smith at point catching to end his near 7 ½ hour innings.
Devdutt Padikkal’s dismissal to the first ball after lunch triggered the mini collapse and included Rishabh Pant, stumped as offspinner Nathan Layon cleverly pushed a delivery wide of the charging left hander only for wicketkeeper Alex Carey to whip the bails.
Batsman Druv Jurel was unlucky when he referred his lbw decision and TV replays showed the delivery just brushing the leg stump.
But Kohli and Washington Sundar (29) counterattacked with an 89-run sixth wicket stand before Lyon bowled the latter while attempting to slog.
Jaiswal, who lived in poverty and in a tent with the groundsman of the Mumbai Maidan before starting his career, played one of the finest innings in the short test history of at the Perth Stadium and left to a standing ovation from an appreciative third-day crowd.
His insatiable appetite for big innings was evident Sunday as he stood crest fallen when finally dismissed after playing an innings that will be remembered for many years to come.
His innings lasted 297 balls and provided the backbone of the Indian effort, putting the tourists in position to push for an early lead in the five-test series. He hit six sixes and 15 fours as he took his 2024 run tally to 1,280 in 12 tests at an average of 58.18 including two double hundreds against England at home to add to this ton.
Jaiswal brought up his fourth test century in sensational style as he parried a Josh Hazlewood bouncer over the third man boundary for his third six. He celebrated the ton by raising his bat and then raising both arms. That six took his sixes tally to a record 35 in 2024 and surpassed New Zealander Brendon McCullum’s 33.
“I was really enjoying the batting,” said Jaiswal refusing to single out any of his four hundreds. “All the centuries are amazing. I always believed in me and I will do whatever is required for the team.”
Playing in only his 15th test in a career that has spanned just as many months, Jaiswal was in brilliant form as he batted with control, authority and conviction.
“It is always special to score a hundred against one of the best teams in the world,” Jaiswal said of his batting heroics. “I worked hard in every practice session because I really wanted to score runs in Australia."
Jaiswal was dismissed for 0 in the first innings to join Sunil Gavaskar in scoring a duck and a hundred in the same test in Australia. Gavaskar made 0 and 118 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 1977.
Jaiswal and KL Rahul (77) shared 201 runs for the first wicket as the latter played second fiddle to Jaiswal in the 383-ball stand, batting for 302 minutes with five fours off 176 balls.
Leftarm swing bowler Mitchell Starc finally separated the partnership when KL Rahul edged a delivery that was slanted across the right hander and wicketkeeper Alex Carey took a low catch.
The opening stand was the highest for India in Australia since the 191 between Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 1986.
Australia and India are one-two in the World Test Championship standings.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's captain Pat Cummins dives to field the ball on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's KL Rahul bats on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal, left, celebrates his century as teammate India's KL Rahul applauds on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Mitchell Starc, center, watches as India's Devdutt Padikkal, right, and Yashasvi Jaiswal run between the wickets on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal bats on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his century on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates his century on the third day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
