Dudi Kepler, known as "The Professor," has revealed he met with Chabad emissary Tzvi Kogan just two days before his disappearance in the UAE. In an emotional evening testimony, Kapler shared details of their hours-long Monday meeting, during which he had interviewed Kogan.
"I spent several hours with Tzvi, who I discovered was an incredible person dedicated to serving Jews in the Emirates," Kepler recounted. "He would travel between Dubai's Jewish communities to maintain kosher grocery stores. There were security guards present - he told me they needed protection."
The revelation took a chilling turn as Kepler reflected on the timing: "To think that during our meeting, he was already under Iranian surveillance... I could have been caught up in this story myself. We must remember what happened in Mumbai 15 years ago with the terrorist attack. These Chabad emissaries literally risk their lives."
The meeting occurred at a Jewish grocery store in Dubai, where Kogan was last seen before his car was found abandoned in Al Ain, about 90 minutes from Dubai.
Kikar Shabbat contributed to this article.