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While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. She also said she understood and respected the show. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. However, Eli's loyalty was scrutinized, and he faced harassment by the 'Muslim Brotherhood.' 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. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. The melting winter snows produce a huge run-off of water which makes the Golan a beautifully verdant area in the late winter and spring and irrigates the Hula and Jordan Valleys below. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. 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. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. The daughter of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen said Sunday it hurt to watch the new Netflix series about her fathers life and execution in Syria, lamenting some historical inaccuracies in the adaptation but praising Sacha Baron Cohens performance. Every morning, Eli would leave home and head for the Aman training center. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. He was interrogated and tortured. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. [7], In January 1965, Syrian officials, who used Soviet-made tracking equipment and were assisted by Soviet experts, increased their efforts to find a high-level spy. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. The Golan is not only important for its military significance. 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. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. One day in 1960 Israeli Intelligence approached him about working for them again. I want him (Yossi Cohen) to clarify what hapepned," said the 84-year-old. 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. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. He was a legend," I declare. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. 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. But his knowledge of. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. But an interview published in the Cairo Times yesterday with the German-born Weltrude Scheffeldt-Biton suggests that Egyptian intelligence played the most important role in unmasking Cohen. 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. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. Thats when he met Nadia Majald, an Iraqi-born Jewish woman who lived near his brother and his wife. The Spy sees a friendship blossoming between Eli Cohen and Amin al-Hafiz, the future president of Syria, that begins as Cohen first goes undercover as Thaabet in Buenos Aires and mutually benefits them both for yearsright through to Cohen's discovery as an Israeli spy and subsequent execution. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. His final visit was in 1964. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Cohen publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square, The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "This cooperation brings significant benefits to New Zealand's national security, we help them (Mossad), and they help us," they added. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. 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. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. He was caught and sentenced to death. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. Hes a trusted friend.. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. This article was originally published in May 2005 and republished to coincide with the release of "The Spy" - a Netflix series about Eli Cohen's life. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. Maurice isn't sure what this means. Syria brought hydraulic engineers and diversion equipment to actualize the scheme. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. You're not alone. 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. The film featured John Shea as Eli. 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. tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. 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.". The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. Military Stories site will provide you the latest News related to military. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. Cohen expressed fear of discovery to the Mossad on his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964, and he stated that he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. On April 15, 2019, a few Israeli news agencies published unconfirmed reports of Eli's remains being recovered in Syria and stated that the remains were with a Russian delegation. 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 . His successes couldn't be vocally shared with his family, however. [31] A memorial stone has been erected to Cohen in the Garden of the Missing Soldiers in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem. [15], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: ). A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. From the creation of Israel through, the present day, Syria has been one, if not the most, implacable of Israels enemies. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. 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. 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. [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. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. In 1951, he was arrested and interrogated over his Jewish and Zionist activities that he was carrying out under the tutelage of Alexandria's chief rabbi. He had also participated in various Israeli furtive operations in the country during the 1950s. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). The alleged son says the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) contacted him two years ago believing he has clues to the secret location, which his father had apparently taken to the grave. 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. . "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 Syria's Jewish community, in particular." He then underwent a show trial, like the Operation Susannah spies had in Egypt 12 years before., Like them, his verdict was predetermined. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. ", "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. The condom was used as a timing tool for mixed chemicals and produce a minor burst of fire. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. 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. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. Again, I. Cohen was born and raised in Egypt and was expelled to Israel in 1956. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Nadia, however, never remarried. Today, one can see the former Syrian bunkers that remain on the Golan Heights from 1967 (as well as the tanks from 1973). Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? Eli Cohen was the man for the job. He then moved to Damascus in February 1962, under his new identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet, to extract classified information from Syrian military officers. 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. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. 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. 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.". 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. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. On his last visit, in 1964, he told intelligence officers he wanted to come in from the cold because he was concerned a new Syrian intelligence commander did not like him. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. 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]. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. Israel has had a quiet northern border on the Golan with the exception of some occasional fallout from the Syrian civil war for more than 40years. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. Later, visiting his sister-in-law, Cohen's wife Nadia, he notices that she has a brand new Singer sewing machine in her home. 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. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, and many Mossad officials attended Eli's son's bar mitzvah in 1977. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. The husband hunters among the Damascus rich and influential flocked to the handsome Taabet, hoping that their almond eyes, Byzantine beauty, and olive skin would secure a future of wealth and power: He became the most sought-after bachelor in the Syrian capital. Cohens contacts, nurtured through a string of lavish dinner parties, social occasions, and friendships with those in high places, led to invitations to visit Damascus and to set up a business venture there. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. Egypt has the strongest of the Arab countries and sworn enamy if Israel with the decision to evacuate Egypt, modern bases, airfield, and huge stores of equipment and war material would fall into the Egyptian army. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. 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. Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. 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. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. 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. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. [28] The press announced on 5 July 2018 that Cohen's wristwatch had been retrieved from Syria. 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 born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Incorrect password. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. ", "Former Assad aide: Eli Cohen's burial site unknown],mm", "New footage emerges of Eli Cohen on the gallows", "Mossad Brings Home Watch of Israeli Spy Executed in Syria; Netanyahu Hails 'Brave' Op", "Watch of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen recovered by Mossad", "The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy", "Will Assad's Ouster Free Body of Israel Spy? 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. 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. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Others have attributed the carelessness to an almost suicidal tendency perhaps, it was later surmised, he had been in the undercover world too long, but knew he couldnt get out of it. From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. "It was all for good intentions. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. 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 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. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. But changes were taking place in the Syrian Government that alarmed Eli. 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 February 1961 one man handed him an Israeli passport in his real name and a plane ticket to Zurich.on his arrival, Eli was met by a white-haired man who gave him a passport from another name, that passport carried an entry visa to chile and a transit visa to 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. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community.