The New York Times faced sharp criticism for its initial coverage of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan's murder in the UAE, where the paper characterized the targeted killing as merely a case of someone who "disappeared" and was "found dead."
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo led the backlash: "Call it what it is - a Jewish man was hunted down and murdered because he was Jewish," he posted on social media. Senator Ritchie Torres echoed the sentiment, condemning what he called "soft-pedaling of antisemitic violence."
The controversy erupted as details emerged showing Kogan was specifically tracked by Iranian-directed Uzbek operatives who lured him to a remote location near Dubai. UAE authorities have arrested three suspects in what they're investigating as a planned assassination.
Following the outcry, the Times updated its headline to reflect that Rabbi Kogan was "abducted and killed," though critics argue this still understates the apparently targeted nature of the attack on a Jewish community leader.
Rabbi Kogan had managed a kosher grocery store in Dubai and served the growing Jewish community there following the Abraham Accords.
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