UAE arrests three after “Israeli” rabbi killing

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it had arrested three suspects in the murder of an “Israeli” rabbi, which “Israel” has called an anti-Semitic attack.

"The ministry of interior announced that the UAE authorities have arrested in record time the three perpetrators involved in the murder" of Tzvi Kogan, a statement cited by the official WAM news agency said.

Read more: Netanyahu issues statement after killing of “Israeli” rabbi in UAE

The ministry described Kogan as "a Moldovan national according to his identification documents at the time of entry into the UAE, where he lived as a resident".

The 28-year-old rabbi's body had been found by security services in the Gulf state, the “Israeli” prime minister's office and the foreign ministry said earlier Sunday.

The “Israeli”-Moldovan national was living and working in the UAE as a representative of the Chabad Hasidic movement, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group known for its outreach efforts worldwide.

UAE normalized relations with "Israel" in 2020 alongside other countries including Bahrain and Morocco.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking of Kogan's death at the start of a cabinet meeting, said that "the murder of an Israeli citizen and a Chabad emissary is an abhorrent anti-Semitic terrorist attack."

Read more: Missing "Israeli" rabbi found dead in UAE

In Washington, the White House on Sunday slammed Kogan's killing as a "horrific crime," urging that those responsible should be held accountable.

"It was an assault as well on (the) UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.

Neither Emirati nor “Israeli” officials provided any details about the circumstances of Kogan's murder.

An “Israeli” official, briefing journalists on condition of anonymity, said Kogan's body could be repatriated Monday.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement said that he would "be laid to rest in Israel".

“Israel” renewed a warning for “Israelis” to avoid any non-essential travel to the UAE, and advised citizens already in the Gulf country to take extra precautions.