3 Suspects Of Israeli Rabi Killers Of Uzbekistan Citizen Netanyahu Call Anti-Yahudi Terrorist Actions

UNSPLASH/Pierre ILLUSTRATION Herman

The three suspects arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who allegedly killed an Israeli merchant in the UAE are citizens of Uzbekistan.

The UAE's Ministry of Home Affairs said two 28-year-old and 33-year-old third-time actors.

An investigation conducted by Emirati authorities is still ongoing, the statement said, without specifying whether the persons had been charged.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment to Reuters.

The body of Zvi Kogan, 28, was found on Sunday. He was reported missing on Thursday.

An Israeli official said Kogan was believed to have been last seen in Dubai.

UAE authorities have not yet said about the motive for the Israeli Rabi killer.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the killings were an anti-Semitic terrorist or anti-Yahud, and Israeli officials said it believed Kogan was targeted because he was Jewish.

Former Israeli Druze politician Ayob Kara spoke to Reuters in Dubai on Sunday, accusing Iran of involvement. The Iranian Embassy in Abu Dhabi rejected the allegations.

Kogan's death rocked the Jewish community in the UAE, which is estimated to be several thousand by Jewish groups.

Kogan is a UAE resident and also a Moldovan citizen, according to local authorities.

He lived in the UAE for several years, working with the New York-based Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement, and was involved in the reach of the Jewish community.

Israeli agencies took part in the investigation, Israeli officials told Reuters. Moldova's foreign ministry said it was in contact with the UAE authorities.

The UAE Ambassador to Washington Yousef Al Otaiba said Kogan's killing was a crime against the Gulf Arab state, which lies on the Arabian Peninsula and across the Gulf from Iran.