The White House has condemned the killing in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack."
"This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24.
Hours earlier, U.A.E. authorities said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of a man identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country.
The victim had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed.
The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denounced the killing of the 28-year-old rabbi, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act."
Moldova's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is "in contact with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates to clarify the circumstances of this case." It gave no further details.
According to Reuters, Iran quickly rejected any implication that it was involved in the killing.
The Iranian embassy in the UAE "categorically rejects the allegations of Iran’s involvement in the murder of this individual," the news agency quoted the embassy as saying.
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