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Last Friday marked the 53rd anniversary of the execution of Eli Cohen, the Egyptian-born Israeli spy who burrowed his way so deep into the Syrian state apparatus he nearly came to head it. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. Eli was born Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, on December 26, 1924, in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, into a staunch Jewish and Zionist family. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. Out of fear of being caught, Eli expressed his wish to visit Israel in November 1964, to pass on information and also witness the birth of his third child. Cohen heads to Germany to discuss Iran uranium enrichment, IRGC [5], His parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, but he remained to finish a degree in electronics and coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities. Employment was not always steady, and he soon had to rely more on Nadia to help support their marriage, which would quickly lead to children. In January 1947, he was enlisted in the Egyptian army as an alternative to paying the mandatory sum that all young Jews had to pay. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. The film featured John Shea as Eli. In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. Maurice isn't sure what this means. He emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. Cohen was convicted of espionage. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. soon Israel's tanks and cannon riposted with heavy fire, and minutes later mirage pounded the Syrian position and blasted the cannon of Syria that was dug. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. In the 1960s, Israel developed a national water carrier which diverted water from the Kinneret into a pipeline that irrigated much of the country and especially Israels arid south. But the intelligence officers convinced him to go back one last time. He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. [19] He also learned of a secret plan to create three successive lines of bunkers and mortars; the Israel Defense Forces would otherwise have expected to encounter only a single line. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. He worked as an accountant and translator. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. The True Story Behind The Spy on Netflix | Time Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. At first, he refused. But his knowledge of. The agency concluded that Cohen had a high IQ, great bravery, a phenomenal memory, and the ability to keep a secret; but the tests also showed that in spite of his modest appearance, he has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a lot of internal tension. Cohen, the results indicated, does not always evaluate danger correctly, and is liable to assume risks beyond those which are necessary.. Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. Eli Cohen (politician born 1972) - Wikipedia Years later, in February 2007, a Turkish official confirmed that the government had agreed to look into the matter of returning Eli's remains to his family. HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - A Netflix drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s and was later executed, has received a . However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. The Israel Defense Forces were alleged to have used the trees as targeting markers during the Six-Day War, which enabled Israel to capture the Golan Heights in two days. One day in 1960 Israeli Intelligence approached him about working for them again. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. Were they not interested? Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. I send you my last kisses to you and to the children: Sophie, Irit, and Shaoul, and to the rest of my family, especially my mother. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . A number were only released 14 years later, after the 1967 War. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. He took on the name Kamel Amin Thaabet and went to live in Argentina for some time to build a name for himself in the Syrian expat community. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. The children could not react to Eli's absence. Thanks". Kamal Amin Tabet hosted a glamorous party in Damascus, several ministers, a large number of general and colonel, top leaders of the Baath party, businessmen. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. ", "Sacha Baron Cohen To Star As Eli Cohen in Netflix Limited Series 'The Spy', Cohen's widow asks for his remains to be returned, PM's speech at the ceremony marking 40 years since the death of Eli Cohen, Our man in Damascus: Eli Cohen of blessed memory, Exhibition in the IDF & Defense Establishment Archives, Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 1), Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 2), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eli_Cohen&oldid=1140124388, Egyptian people convicted of spying for Israel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 15:41. She once called her children and four grandchildren to her home in Herzliya, clicked a photo of them together, and sent it to Assad, congratulating him on the birth of his son, Bashar. One of the more famous aspects of his spying regarded a trip he took to the Golan Heights. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. On 18 May 1965, Eli cohen was woken by the jailer and fastened the noose, and hang up, the huge poster was fastened on his chest where his sentence was written in Arabic.Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report. Eli Cohenarrived in Buenos Aires and checked into a hotel .a local teacher would get in touch with him and teach him the Spanish language. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. Eli Cohen, at 29, offered his services to the Israeli Intelligence Services but was rebuked twice. He even trained at the same facility that had served as home to his doomed Susannah compatriots in 1953. He returned to Egypt in 1956 but was suspected immediately and was placed under surveillance. He had three brothers. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. "Sophie's. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. According to al-Gamal's version, he saw a photograph in an Arab newspaper at a newspaper stand in Frankfurt's train station that showed Amin Kamel Thabet touring fortifications on the Golan Heights with Syrian officers. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Monthir Maosily, a former bureau chief for Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, claimed in 2007 that Hafiz and Cohen were not as close as was made out and that stories of Cohen infiltrating the very top of Syrian politics "had been exaggerated to undermine Syria, as if he was a spy who had transmitted Syria's deepest secrets.". 'I know where Eli Cohen is buried,' says alleged son of ex - ynetnews The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. He worked as an accountant. I don't want to go to my death longing for my Eli to rest in the soil of the land that he loved and for which he gave his life. Syrian counterintelligence eventually uncovered the spy conspiracy and convicted Cohen under pre-war martial law, sentencing him to death and hanging him publicly in 1965. That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. On the day of his execution, his last wish to see a rabbi was respected by the prison authorities, and Nissim Indibo, the elderly Chief Rabbi of Syria, accompanied him in the truck. If indeed Biton was a double agent - and Israeli intelligence prides itself on the quality of his work - then it is difficult to believe that he exposed Cohen. Israeli spy who was captured and executed in Syria, that enabled them to destroy the equipment prepared for the task, "Israel's Secret Operation to Recover the Watch of a Legendary Spy", "Rumors fly that body of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen was found", "Eli Cohen, notre agent "top secret" Damas", "Mossad's master of deception: the astounding true story of Israeli super-spy Eli Cohen", Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: Netflix drama 'raises my blood pressure', "Unending agony for legendary spy Eli Cohen and his widow", "Israel's secret war against Hitler's scientists", "The History of Elie Cohen: An Egyptian Jew who became Israel's greatest spy", "Will Israel's superspy finally rest in peace? But his knowledge of the Arab language and Arab culture, as well as prior work in espionage in Egypt, made him a good candidate for the Mossad. In August 2008, Assad's former bureau chief, Monthir Maosily, revealed that Eli had been buried thrice and that Israel would never receive his body. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!I send you my last kisses to you and to the children: Sophie, Irit, and Shaoul, and to the rest of my family, especially my motherPlease pray for my soul. (PMO), Sacha Baron Cohen as Israeli spy Eli Cohen in The Spy (YouTube screenshot), Mossad spy Eli Cohen, executed in Syria in 1965. Cohen was arrested in January 1965 while transmitting to his handlers. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. [26], Monthir Maosily, the former bureau chief of Hafez Al-Assad, claimed in August 2008 that the Syrians had buried him three times to stop the remains from being taken back to Israel via a special operation. On May 15, 1965, Eli wrote a final letter to Nadia, requesting her not to mourn his death and stating that she should hold her head high, as her husband had done nothing wrong. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. Despite her criticism of the series, Ben-Dor said she understood why the shows creators took artistic license with her fathers story. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. Nadia, however, never remarried. He was promised support in any venture he might wish to undertake, and the generous sums of cash which he appeared to possess appealed to the unscrupulous who thought he could provide grease to their financial ambitions, as well as patriotic Syrians who hoped for an infusion of foreign capital into the Syrian state. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. You're not alone. Israel could be the target of an aggressive attack by a larger, better Egyptian army that wanted to avenge its shameful defect in the Israel Independence War. Eli's first instructor Yitzhak learned to memorize things, he throws a dozen objects on the table and Eli observe them for a second and described them. His first assignment was to infiltrate the Jewish community of Alexandria. All these years, I remained faithful to him. Abdel Latif Hassan immediately wrote four letters one to his brother-in-law, two to friends in Beirut, and fourth to his son in Damascus. Every morning, Eli would leave home and head for the Aman training center. Incorrect password. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. In a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. The daughter of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen said Sunday "it hurt" to watch the new Netflix series about her father's life and execution in Syria, lamenting some historical inaccuracies in. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. In the short periods he came home he wanted to absorb all the love from his children, he even smelt their scent to stay with him, and he wanted to give all the love possible, like a father to his children. had succeeded in friending a Saudi entrepreneur who had been contracted to plan and dig canals, the name was his friend was bin Laden, little Osama's father. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. On 18 May 1965, Eli cohen was woken by the jailer and fastened the noose, and hang up, the huge poster was fastened on his chest where his sentence was written in Arabic. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. But in 2018, Cohens watch was retrieved in a secret Mossad scheme. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. While Eli was not directly involved with the Operation Susannah spies, he was involved with pro-Israel activity, and he was brutally questioned by Egypts Intelligence Services. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Why Mossad's Retrieval of Eli Cohen's Watch Matters - SOFREP Nadia and Eli Cohen pictured in the 1960s The 41-year-old was brutally hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, in May 1965 - and despite his last request to have his body returned to Israel, the Syrian authorities have to this day never disclosed the whereabouts of his remains. He lasted until just July that year when he resigned in protest of the Ba'ath military committee executing dissenting rivals who tried to stage a coup for power. Qudsi was ousted from power as a result of the March 8 coup, but Hafiz did not take power until months later. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. "My darling Nadia, and my dear family,I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever.I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. . Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. Eli's wife Nadia, played by Hadar Ratzon Rotem, has to deal with raising two children without her husband, who disappears for up to a year at a time without being allowed to tell her what he's actually doing or even where he is. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anything. Decades after the Eli Cohen affair there are still many questions, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy (from the archive). She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. [24], Following the 1963 Syrian coup d'tat, newly appointed Syrian Intelligence Colonel Ahmed Suidani disliked Cohen and did not trust figures close to the Second Syrian Republic. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. I was more worried, Ben-Dor said of hearing that Cohen, who is known for playing comedic figures such as Borat, would star in the series. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. Once Cohen had established his background, he was inserted into the "target country," Syria, and operated with great success for four years until his capture. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee In his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as . Steve Cohen's daughter Sophia splits from fianc - Page Six They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. Nadia Cohen, widow of executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen, speaks to Channel 2 on September 20, 2016 after Syrian opposition forces release new video showing moments after he was hanged in. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. A New Zealander claiming to the son of a former Syrian president, says he knows the whereabouts of the executed Israeli spy's remains, according to a report on New Zealand news service Newshub on Sunday. Eli, after all, was born in an Arab country, had oriental features, was known to be selfless and fearless in pursuit of a cause, and had knowledge of Arabic, English, and French. But he refused). "The Spy" depicts Egyptian-born Cohen - played by Sacha Baron Cohen - as an ambitious, Arabic-speaking immigrant to Israel who is recruited by Mossad and, overcoming his fears and the strains on his family, infiltrates the Damascus high command by posing as a rich scion of the Syrian diaspora. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World According to his fictional biography, in 1948 the family moved to Argentina, where they opened a successful textile business. Kamal Amin Taabets (Eli Cohen) return to Syria would ostensibly be the fulfillment of a lifelong patriotic dream. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. One of the most difficult tasks for Eli Cohen was to learn the intricate and unmistakable phonetic tune of Syrian Arabic; prior to his intelligence training, his Egyptian accent was undeniable. His trainer was an Iraqi-born Jew who had extensive experience training operatives in speaking Arabic and the traditions and Muslim customs.