Rabat – When Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an Israeli-Moldovan, was killed in the UAE, it shocked many. The Gulf country had been seen as a safe haven for Israelis since increasing violence in the region since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu has called the murder a “heinous antisemitic terror incident,” while Israel is urging Israelis to avoid unnecessary travel to the UAE as the investigation continues.
The UAE moved quickly to wrap up the investigation and plug any security gaps that allowed the unusual death to take place in a country that has built a reputation for safety.
Authorities made three arrests “in record time,” according to the Interior Ministry.
In the aftermath of the incident, Anwar Gargash, a senior Emirati official, wrote on X: “The UAE will remain a home of safety, an oasis of stability, a society of tolerance and coexistence and a beacon of development, pride and advancement.”
Dubai thrives on tourism and expat workers who flock there for a bling-bling, tax-free lifestyle, enforced by a state that has eyes everywhere and a very low tolerance for political dissent.
Israelis speaking Hebrew and wearing kippahs have continued to frequent Dubai’s malls and tourist areas, even though tensions have flared between Israel and many Arab countries for their heinous actions in Palestine.
By contrast, in Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, tensions among citizens angered by Netanyahu’s genocidal campaign have manifested in the streets. Two days after Hamas’ October 7 attack, a policeman gunned down two Israeli tourists. An Israeli businessman was assassinated in the North African country months later.
For Israelis, the risks seem higher now. The UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords. But as the Israeli genocide in Gaza continues, the anti-Israel sentiment is rising as ever across the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Israel’s National Security Council has issued strong advice to avoid gathering at Jewish sites in the UAE, to not share travel plans on social media, and to hide any visual clues that could give away an Israeli identity.
The UAE wants to close the case fast. Its global reputation as a safe, tolerant destination is at stake.
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