One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. 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. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. 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. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. 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. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. 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. He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. 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. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. "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. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. "It was all for good intentions. (PMO), Sacha Baron Cohen as Israeli spy Eli Cohen in The Spy (YouTube screenshot), Mossad spy Eli Cohen, executed in Syria in 1965. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. [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. 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. 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? Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. The six-part drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen has gripped viewers and critics alike with its pulse-racing tale of espionage and a deceptively good dramatic performance by Sacha Baron Cohen, better known for his comedy work, as the Mossad agent. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. 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. Another tutor trained him to speak 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. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. 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. Intelligence created a completely new identity for him. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. 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. Incorrect password. 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.". Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. 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. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. 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. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. However, Eli's loyalty was scrutinized, and he faced harassment by the 'Muslim Brotherhood.' But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. Eli had to conceal the microfilm inexpensive boxes containing backgammon pieces .the music ornament could be dug out of the polished wood and reinserted after microfilm had been placed in the cavity. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. 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. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success. In a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. In Episode 5, Maurice puts the clues together when he covers for the regular analyst that communicates with Cohen using Morse code. 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. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. In early 1961, Chaim Herzog, Chief of Military Intelligence and later president of Israel, signed the document authorizing Cohens use as a spy. 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. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. 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. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. He ultimately complied. Maurice isn't sure what this means. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. A number were only released 14 years later, after the 1967 War. The drunk guests would often end up blabbing about their work to Cohen, who was sober but would pretend to be intoxicated. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. 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. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. When the Golan was captured in 1967, at almost the end of the Six-Day War, settlers in the north could finally feel relieved. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. Cohen accepted the calling. 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. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Learn more. 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. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. 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. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? [15], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: ). 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. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . 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. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. 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 caught and sentenced to death. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. In 1960, he was recruited to join the Mossad for a special mission in which he was to pretend to be a Syrian businessman returning to the country after having lived in Argentina. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. 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.". The text messages between Khalid and the NZSIS. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. 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. 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. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. It, however, did not change the situation. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen) was the kind of guy to leave his wife spontaneous love letters throughout the house. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. 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. 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. 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. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. 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. Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. The Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, plans to name one of the buildings in its compound after Eli Cohen - its spy in Syria who was caught in Damascus, tried, convicted and executed 40 years ago. . Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. 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 then moved to Damascus in February 1962, under his new identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet, to extract classified information from Syrian military officers. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. In an interview with Newshub, Al-Hafidh now says he is willing to reveal the information without the financial reward, as long as the Cohen's relatives finally have their peace. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. 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. He was interrogated and tortured. 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. 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. But even after four decades, there are still many questions related to the Eli Cohen affair, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy. "Suddenly something changed there toward us. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. Eli himself was not above the spicier part of a spys life either. Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. Cohen went undercover in Syria as Kamel Amin Thaabet in the early 1960s, aligned himself with key military and government personnel and fed intel back to Israel. 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. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. At the end of 1961, Syria dissolved its union with Egypt, which had lasted a mere three years. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. 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. "I have passed your response to our partners and am waiting for a reply," said the agent. 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). He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. She smiles. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anything. He also held parties at his home, which turned into orgies for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others, who used Elis apartment for assignations with various women, including Defense Ministry secretaries, airline hostesses, and Syrian singing stars. At these parties such highly-placed officials would talk freely of their work and army plans. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. 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. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. 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. 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. 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 Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. 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. Recruitment into the Mossad. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. 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. Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. 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. To no avail. 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. 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. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response.

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