The previous year, which marked Elis 50th death anniversary, Nadia had addressed a memorial dedicated to him. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. Eli Cohen was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy best known for his espionage work in the 1960s in Syria, where it was alleged he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy and became the chief adviser to the country's defense minister. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". 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. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. 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. However, Eli's loyalty was scrutinized, and he faced harassment by the 'Muslim Brotherhood.' thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. With senior staff officers acting as guides, Eli Cohen was provided an in-depth intelligence briefing of monumental proportions. They even photographed Eli on the Golan Heights, looking over into Israel, alongside the most high-ranking Syrian officers. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. With time he was taken even more into the confidence of the highest echelons of power. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. He was convicted in a trial without a defense and sentenced to death. 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. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. 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. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. On January 25, 2000, Nadia presented a picture of a new postage stamp with Elis face, to Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, honoring her husband. He returned home to his family only a few times during his mission. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. Thus, he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anythingDo what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. 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. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. Thats when he met Nadia Majald, an Iraqi-born Jewish woman who lived near his brother and his wife. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. While there are reports that Cohen hosted parties that would devolve into orgies at his apartment, in order to gain the trust of high-level people in power, there's no concrete evidence that he played a role in the March 1963 coup. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[25] but the Syrians refused. [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. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. Already a member? I want him, here and now, because I've reached the age that I deserve tranquillity. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. [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. "It works with a range of international intelligence agencies,'' the NZSIS said in response. 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. At first, he refused. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. [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". Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. 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. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant Zaher Al-Din took Eli to the El Hama military camp, where large quantities of new weapons had been stored. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. As the Syrian Army officer explained to Eli the fortifications the Syrian Army had built, Eli suggested that the Syrians plant trees there to deceive the Israelis into thinking it was unfortified, as well as to provide shade and beauty for the soldiers stationed there. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. 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. He continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. 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. Maurice Cohen told his brother he had a new phone line installed in his house and "gave the number of his apartment in Damascus, which I had received in a message just before he'd come home.". Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. All these years, I remained faithful to him. He was taught high-speed evasive driving techniques, Weapons proficiency (especially with a wide variety of small arms), topography, map reading, sabotage, and, most importantly, radio transmissions and cryptography. After some months, Abdel Latif Hassan introduces Eli to General Amin El-Hafez, the military attache at the embassy. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. But he spent most of his time in Tel Aviv perfecting his cover and being briefed on Amans requirements of him in Syria, as well as last-minute intelligence data needed for his mission. His success in effectively penetrating the Syrian social and political/diplomatic/military strata already wildly exceeded Amans expectations of him, Cohen arrived in Damascus in February 1962, posing as a businessman from Argentina who had returned to his native land. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. "There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing. 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. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. 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. 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 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. 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. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. "I was cooperating with the New Zealand Secret Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Mossad, in order to help find the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen," he said. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. But he refused). Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. The agent replied: "Will do, thanks K". "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. The Spy alternates between Cohens risky schemes with Nadias far more ordinary life. I give you my blessing. 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. [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. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? 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. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. Eli Cohen's son, Shaul, was only 2 weeks old when he last saw his father. Again, I. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. As depicted in Episodes 4 and 5 of The Spy, Cohen aligns with Hafiz and the Ba'ath political party to overthrow the reigning government of Syria in March 1963. Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . Later, visiting his sister-in-law, Cohen's wife Nadia, he notices that she has a brand new Singer sewing machine in her home. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. (Israel GPO), President Reuven Rivlin and Nadia Cohen, at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Mossad super spy Eli Cohen, May 18, 2015. [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. He had seventeen lovers in Syria, all dazzling beauties with a fair degree of family power. Eli hoped as did Israeli Intelligence that these women would help him escape in time of crisis.. [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. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. 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.. 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. 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. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Since 1992, the Golan has been up for discussion in the peace talks, but it strikes a very emotional chord among Israelis due to its historic and strategic significance, in addition to its natural beauty. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. 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. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. 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. 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. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. 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. 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. He became far less careful in his transmissions to Israel, sometimes calling once or even twice a day and almost always at the same time, at 8:30 in the morning. 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. After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. 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. "Their ages range from four and a half to 32." "You must be very proud," I offer. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. [16][17] Mossad had carefully planned the tactics that he was to use in building relationships with high-ranking Syrian politicians, military officials, influential public figures, and the diplomatic community. In the 1970s, they left Israel for Germany and in 1982, al-Gamal, alias Jacques Biton, died of an illness. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. 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. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. 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. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Born Country: Egypt Spies Israeli Men Died on: May 18, 1965 place of death: Al Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria Notable Alumni: Cairo Farouk University Cause of Death: Executed By Hanging City: Alexandria, Egypt More Facts Recommended Lists: Israeli Celebrities Male Spies Israeli Spies Capricorn Men As depicted in Episodes 4 and 5 of The Spy, Cohen aligns with Hafiz and the Ba'ath political party to overthrow the reigning government of Syria in March 1963. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. Since Eli did not have a steady job back then, even though he worked as an accountant, he had to rely more on Nadia to help support the family and their marriage. [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. 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. 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. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. I give you my blessing. 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 a February 2006 interview with Jewish Magazine, Maurice Cohen said that he informed his brother that he knew he was "our man in Damascus" in an intriguing way, rather than outright confronting him as seen in The Spy. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. Syrian security services led by Suidani broke into Cohen's apartment on 24 January and caught him in the middle of a transmission to Israel. 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. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. ", "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. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. 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. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. "This cooperation brings significant benefits to New Zealand's national security, we help them (Mossad), and they help us," they added.