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. He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. But the intelligence officers convinced him to go back one last time. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. The highly vigilant Russian security experts, equipped with very sensitive technical intelligence-gathering equipment, pinpointed the source of the transmissions in the Syrian capital and it was Elis home. 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. But in 2018, Cohens watch was retrieved in a secret Mossad scheme. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. become close friends. In Episode 5, Maurice puts the clues together when he covers for the regular analyst that communicates with Cohen using Morse code. 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. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. Cohen accepted the calling. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. 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. He did not object, in fact, to the idea of a ladies man reputation. 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. [32], John Shea played Cohen in the television film The Impossible Spy (1987),[33] and Sacha Baron Cohen played him in the Netflix miniseries The Spy (2019). The transmissions became longer as well. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. Eli told Nadia that he got a job with a company that works with defense and foreign ministries, he needs to travel to Europe to buy tools and equipment, and materials for Israel's military. Again, I. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. "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." "It was all for good intentions. Eli Cohen's son, Shaul, was only 2 weeks old when he last saw his father. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. He was convicted in a trial without a defense and sentenced to death. Irit does not know her father. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. [30], Cohen has become a national hero in Israel, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named for him. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. 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. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. Speaking to Cohen's brother, and to Israeli and Syrian intelligence experts, Sputnik has pieced together a new look at the superspy's incredible life story. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. 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. He returned home to his family only a few times during his mission. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. Learn more. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. At the end of 1961, Syria dissolved its union with Egypt, which had lasted a mere three years. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Cohen was convicted of espionage. [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". Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. 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. 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. 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. His final visit was in 1964. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. 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. Nadia still holds a grudge against the 'Mossad' handlers who had sent Eli to Syria, an action that had taken him away from her, forever. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. 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. 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. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. (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. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. According to Scheffeldt, Cohen and al-Gamal were arrested together in 1954 and released shortly after. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee But his knowledge of the Arab language and Arab culture, as well as prior work in espionage in Egypt, made him a good candidate for the Mossad. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. 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. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials. Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. 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 began writing the number but stopped abruptly and, looking flushed and flustered, mumbled under his breath about needing to run out to the supermarket before it closed. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. In 1965, the Syrian secret service was on high alert. For four years, Cohen posed as a Syrian textile businessman named Kamal Amin Thabet, first in Argentina and later in Damascus. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. [7] He took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 1950s, although the Egyptian government could never prove his involvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews out of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility in Egypt. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. But his knowledge of. Spouse/Ex-: Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Born Country: Iraq Family Members Iraqi Female Life with Eli Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" Scheffeldt said that her husband never revealed his true identity, and she learned of it only after a television series aired in Egypt that described him as a national hero. tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. Incorrect password. 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. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. He was caught and sentenced to death. 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. Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. ", "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. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. "My darling Nadia, and my dear family,I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever.I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. In the short periods he came home he wanted to absorb all the love from his children, he even smelt their scent to stay with him, and he wanted to give all the love possible, like a father to his children. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. 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. However, Eli's loyalty was scrutinized, and he faced harassment by the 'Muslim Brotherhood.' 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. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. 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. Eli's first instructor Yitzhak learned to memorize things, he throws a dozen objects on the table and Eli observe them for a second and described them. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. 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? World leaders, wealthy individuals, the Israeli government, the pope, and others all intervened on his behalf. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. Cohen later. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. She smiles. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. But in 1965, he was unmasked. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. Please try again or choose an option below. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. 4 Min Read. 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. In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. 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 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. All these years, I remained faithful to him. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. (Haim Zach/GPO). He was hanged on May 18, 1965. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. 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. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. [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. 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. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. In the interview, she said that her husband left behind memoirs, notes and other evidence. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. 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. I give you my blessing. He worked as an accountant and translator. 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. 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. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. In addition, the commander of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani trusted no one and disliked Eli. On January 24, 1965, Syrian intelligence broke into his home in the middle of a transmission. So now we have a request. 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. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. I give you my blessing. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. I was more worried, Ben-Dor said of hearing that Cohen, who is known for playing comedic figures such as Borat, would star in the series. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. 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. Its waters flow into the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret) and south to the Dead Sea. 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 would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. 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 "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. 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. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. It takes just a few seconds. She once called her children and four grandchildren to her home in Herzliya, clicked a photo of them together, and sent it to Assad, congratulating him on the birth of his son, Bashar. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. He reminded me of my father sometimes, she added. The Spy alternates between Cohens risky schemes with Nadias far more ordinary life. [22], It is claimed that the intelligence that Cohen gathered before his arrest was an important factor in Israel's success in the Six-Day War,[23] although some intelligence experts have argued that the information he provided about the Golan Heights fortifications was also readily available from ground and aerial reconnaissance. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Were they not interested? On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[25] but the Syrians refused. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. 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..