Shortly after news broke of the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the United Arab Emirate’s Ambassador to the United States Youssef Al Otaiba issued a statement condemning it.
“Today the UAE mourns for Rabbi Zvi Kogan. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and community over his senseless death,” Al Otaiba wrote.
“Zvi Kogan’s murder was more than a crime in the UAE – it was a crime against the UAE,” he continued. “It was an attack on our homeland, on our values and on our vision. In the UAE, we welcome everyone. We embrace peaceful coexistence. We reject extremism and fanaticism of every kind. We honor Zvi Kogan’s memory by recommitting ourselves to these values.”
Al Otaiba concluded his statement by promising that the UAE is “more determined than ever to protecting and sustaining the Emirates as a shining and enduring example of diversity, acceptance and peace.
Kogan, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi working for Chabad, was found dead near the UAE’s border of Oman.
A resident of the UAE, Kogan was also a citizen of both Israel and Moldova.
On Monday evening, he was buried on the Mount of Olives.
Since his death, three suspects have been arrested by the UAE government, and the Israeli government has said it is involved in the investigation.
Recent years have seen historic cooperation between the two nations, as the UAE was one of the countries that signed the Abraham Accords, alongside Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
The UAE is also widely expected to play a significant role in post-war Gaza, but has made clear that it will not do so “without the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
