The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. [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. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. At the end of 1961, Syria dissolved its union with Egypt, which had lasted a mere three years. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. In 1960, the national intelligence agency of Israel, 'Mossad,' approached Eli for a classified mission in Syria. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. According to the report, Mossad agents were on their way to Auckland, with one text saying: "Wait for our partners to arrive before making a decision.". He was a legend," I declare. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. The True Story Behind The Spy on Netflix | Time Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. The transmissions became longer as well. 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. The Arabs would have none of it and decided to divert the sources of the Jordan River which originated in Arab-held territory. In this way, the Arabs hoped to deprive Israel of the waters she would need for her national growth. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel, 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved, Sophie Ben-Dor (Screen capture: Channel 12 News), This undated photo shows Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria wearing a wristwatch recovered by the Mossad in 2018. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. He was convicted in a trial without a defense and sentenced to death. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. Instead, he joined the Egyptian merchant marine and was involved in a number of scams, which resulted in his arrest by the Egyptian secret service in 1952. "This cooperation brings significant benefits to New Zealand's national security, we help them (Mossad), and they help us," they added. ", "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. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. Khalid al-Hafidh, a Syrian migrant living in Auckland, claims to be the son Amin al-Hafiz, a Syrian leader who presided over the country during Cohen's execution and his subsequent secret burial. Nadia Cohen - Life Story of Widow of Israeli Spy Eli Cohen - Facts Ninja His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. He died in 2009. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. Born Country:- Iraq Wife/Husband/Ex:- Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) Children:- Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Nadia Cohen is the widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who spied in Syria by posing as a wealthy merchant during the early 1960s before being caught and hanged to death publicly. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. But the series did not give al-Gamal enough credit, she said, and this led her to reveal his memoirs, which he wrote in secret and deposited with a lawyer for safekeeping. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Israel has for decades worked to retrieve his remains. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. The condom was used as a timing tool for mixed chemicals and produce a minor burst of fire. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. 'I know where Eli Cohen is buried,' says alleged son of ex - ynetnews [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. [7], Following state-sponsored anti-Semitic attacks on its Jewish communities, many of them fled or were expelled, and Cohen was forced to leave the country in December 1956. Eli Cohenhad 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. He wasnt even drafted into regular service but was placed in a reserve Israeli Air Force formation as a logistics clerk. Perhaps he wasnt allowed into the security service due to his Military Intelligence evaluation some years before. Recruitment into the Mossad. In 1962 Eli cohen was in Damascus with crowded mosques and colorful souks, he rented a luxurious villa in the classy Abu Ramen neighborhood, close to the Syrian embassy. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. In his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as . 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. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. Confused, he took the case to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, the official responsible for supervising New Zealand's two main intelligence agencies, telling him he could have solved the 53-year-old mystery. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. 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. 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. "I have passed your response to our partners and am waiting for a reply," said the agent. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated). He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. According to Scheffeldt, al-Gamal wrote in his memoirs of his friendship with Marcelle Ninio, who was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the Jewish Underground, and also about Eli Cohen. [8], Israel's secret police recruited a sabotage unit of Jewish Egyptian citizens in 1955 which attempted to undermine Egypt's relationships with western powers in the "Lavon Affair". Sophia Cohen the 26-year-old daughter of billionaire hedge funder and Mets owner Steve Cohen is no longer engaged to her financier boyfriend Jason Levine, Page Six has confirmed. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. A month later, a Syrian officer would say that one of Israel's attack architects had been Eli Cohen, who was in Israel during the battle. In January 1965, Syrian government officials announced that Eli is an Israeli spy. In the final episode of The Spy, Cohen's brother Maurice, a Mossad analyst, confronts him after discovering he is the secret Agent 88 in Damascus. Eli himself was not above the spicier part of a spys life either. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. In November that year, Nadia, wrote to Syrian politician and former president of Syria (19712000) Hafez al-Assad, asking him to forgive Eli and requesting him to hand over her husbands remains. Learn more. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. The next day he comes to Hassan's office and admitted that he is sick and tired to live in Argentina, he wanted to go back to Syria, could he help him with a letter of recommendation? one after the other 69 people were arrested. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. 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. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. 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. Thus, he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. At the beginning of the 1956 War, when Israel occupied the Sinai, Eli Cohen was detained by the Egyptian authorities, and was expelled from Egypt along with the remainder of Alexandrian Jews at the end of the war. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. The TV film 'The Impossible Spy' (1987) chronicled Eli's life. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. Some attributed this to a sense of cockiness (despite the fears he had expressed in November 1964), due to the ability and ease he had moved about in the highest echelons of Syrian power. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Antoni Porowski Talks New Cookbook, Recipes and Tradition in Cooking, Netflix's 'The Spy': Eli Cohen's Remains Still a Mystery, How to Watch True Crime Series 'Unbelievable' on Netflix. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. Eli Cohen, the spy who was larger than life - The Jerusalem Post He is best known for his espionage work in 196165 in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy.[1][2][3]. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. Israel desperately tried to have his sentence commuted, and despite requests from world leaders and Pope Paul VI for clemency, Cohen was hanged publicly in May of that year. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. 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. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. Source:The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, (c) 1992-2007. In the fifties, Israel had launched a project of huge pipeline and canals that would carry a part of the jorden river water to the arid Negev region. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. Sacha Baron Cohen-led limited series "The Spy" which comes out today on Netflix tells the true story of how famed Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen went undercover in 1960s Syria. It hurt. become close friends. In the 1987 TV movie 'The Impossible Spy,' Michal Bat-Adam portrayed Nadia, while in the 2019 'Netflix' series 'The Spy,' Hadar Ratzon-Rotem played her, with Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli. According to an unconfirmed but widely believed story, he feigned sympathy for the soldiers exposed to the sun and had trees planted at every position, placed to provide shade. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. the plan was doomed from staring, one of the bombs exploded in the pocket of Philip Natanson and was arrested by police and other members were caught in the following days. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. Unending Agony for Legendary Spy Eli Cohen and His Widow It takes just a few seconds. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. [13][14] In Buenos Aires he moved among the Arab community, letting it be known he had large amounts of money to put at the disposal of the Syrian Ba'ath Party. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. It was approved by, The head of the presidency council on 17/5/1965, Top 10 Weakest Militaries in the World | The Bahamas, Central African Republic, The Gambia,Barbados, Somalia, Luxembourg military power, MiG-29 vs. Su-27: The Soviet Union's Two Top Fighters Went Head to Head in an East African Air War, Ravindra Kaushik RAW Agent ( Black Tiger) Wife, son, Death reason, | Facts about Ravindra Kaushik | Ravindra Kaushik Movie, Israel's Iron Dome Vs S-400 Russian Comparison, Price, Success Rate | Iron Dome vs S400 which is better, Top amazing facts about RAW and Agent : History, Foundation, Joining , Department of RAW, Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his wife and Children | Eli Cohen death writing translation | george seif syria. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. By Lianne Back. Sign in to stop seeing this, Sara Netanyahu accosted by protesters at Tel Aviv hair salon, extricated by police, Brides joy turns to sorrow after Elan Ganeles killed driving to her wedding, Hiker discovers 2,500-year-old ancient receipt from reign of Purim kings father, Netanyahu compares Tel Aviv protesters to settlers who set fire to Huwara. Israels defense planners urgently needed reliable intelligence on the scope of the water diversion project engineering plans, diagrams, maps, and other data and up-to-the-minute assessments of Soviet influence in the Syrian capital, as well as detailed information on plans for the modernization, equipping, and retraining of Syrian forces. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. In the 1970s, they left Israel for Germany and in 1982, al-Gamal, alias Jacques Biton, died of an illness. [4] His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. In the fifties, Israel had launched a project of huge pipeline and canals that would carry a part of the jorden river water to the arid Negev region. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. Cohen later. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee later he handed with Syrian passport in name of kamal Amin tabet, he advised to open a bank account in that name and start visiting Arab restaurants, the cinema where Arab movies are shown, and political club. But his knowledge of. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. [11], The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking through the agency's files of rejected candidates, after none of the current candidates seemed suitable for the job. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . [31] A memorial stone has been erected to Cohen in the Garden of the Missing Soldiers in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem. He was sentenced to death. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. The location of Cohen's body remains unknown. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. No film or video was previously known to exist of the execution. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. You're not alone. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. Israel tried to obtain the cooperation of her Arab neighbors for the plan, but the Arabs would not agree, even when the United States tried to use its diplomatic leverage for the furtherance of the plan. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. Get email notification for articles from Yossi Melman, Reproduction of an Israeli stamp being issued to honour the Mossad intelligence agency spy Eli Cohen who was hanged in Damascus. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. There he met members of the Jewish Underground, handled by Unit 131 of Israel's Military Intelligence, which was exposed by the Egyptians in 1954. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. He is being executed according to the two articles 158 and 159 of the military penal code, and articles 271, 272, and 274 of the general penal code. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. This coincided with the continuance of Palestinian terrorist infiltrators arriving from the Syrian border, along with a continual flow of Soviet technical assistance to Syria. Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic, but welcomes publicity Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. Eli Cohen The Most Successful Name in The History of Espionage Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. Intelligence officers who investigated the issue offered two possibilities: The first is that it was Egyptian intelligence that identified Cohen and gave him up to the Syrians; the second, which is considered more probable, is that the demand for information was so great that frequent communications via radio to Mossad headquarters exposed Cohen to Syrian counterintelligence. Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. His parents, Syrian Jews from the thriving town of Aleppo, had always instilled in their educationally minded son the traditions of the Jewish people, of Zionism, and of the culture of Syrias Jewish community, in particular.. 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. In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. your father and uncle opened a textile store, but it went bankrupt your father died in 1956 and six months later your mother died too. On July 5, 2018, media channels announced that Elis wristwatch had been retrieved from Syria, which was later given back to Eli's family by 'Mossad' in a ceremony. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. 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. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders.
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