Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Kamal Amin Tabet hosted a glamorous party in Damascus, several ministers, a large number of general and colonel, top leaders of the Baath party, businessmen.
The spy who never came home - The Jewish Chronicle In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. 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. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. Cohen was born in 1924 in Alexandria, Egypt to a devout Mizrahi Jewish and Zionist family. Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . His training was extensive and exhaustive. No film or video was previously known to exist of the execution. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. 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. their chief noticed that their decision taken by the government was broadcast to Israel. The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963.
In 'The Spy,' Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Serious : NPR Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story - Refinery29 Eli Cohen Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. He was a legend," I declare. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. 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. There he met members of the Jewish Underground, handled by Unit 131 of Israel's Military Intelligence, which was exposed by the Egyptians in 1954. Eli seemed to have completed the final stage in establishing his network. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. 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. In January 1965, Syrian security officers broke into Elis apartment while he was in the middle of his escape to Israel. Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. 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. It was approved by, The head of the presidency council on 17/5/1965, Top 10 Weakest Militaries in the World | The Bahamas, Central African Republic, The Gambia,Barbados, Somalia, Luxembourg military power, MiG-29 vs. Su-27: The Soviet Union's Two Top Fighters Went Head to Head in an East African Air War, Ravindra Kaushik RAW Agent ( Black Tiger) Wife, son, Death reason, | Facts about Ravindra Kaushik | Ravindra Kaushik Movie, Israel's Iron Dome Vs S-400 Russian Comparison, Price, Success Rate | Iron Dome vs S400 which is better, Top amazing facts about RAW and Agent : History, Foundation, Joining , Department of RAW, Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his wife and Children | Eli Cohen death writing translation | george seif syria. Israel's minister of defense Pinhas Lavon and colonel Benyamin Gibli head of military intelligence, concocted a dangerous and foolish plan if several terrorist bombings were swept Egypt, the British will return to its former bases and concluded that Egypt's couldn't maintain law and order. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. If you've already watched all of The Spy and are curious to know more about Cohen, then these accounts of the real-life Cohen might make for curious reading. Maurice isn't sure what this means. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . Eli Cohen was the man for the job. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Hes a trusted friend.. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. Nadia, however, never remarried.
Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. Again, I. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria.
Cohen heads to Germany to discuss Iran uranium enrichment, IRGC 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. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Despite her criticism of the series, Ben-Dor said she understood why the shows creators took artistic license with her fathers story. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. He worked as an accountant. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. A New Zealander claiming to the son of a former Syrian president, says he knows the whereabouts of the executed Israeli spy's remains, according to a report on New Zealand news service Newshub on Sunday. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. "Their ages range from four and a half to 32." "You must be very proud," I offer.
Double Agent's Widow Offers New Take on Eli Cohen Affair Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to work for Egypt's intelligence service. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. 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. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. With time he was taken even more into the confidence of the highest echelons of power. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. [2], A 2018 article published in Newsweek by Ronen Bergman excerpted from Bergman's book Rise and Kill First, says that Eli Cohen located Alois Brunner, a Nazi scientist suspected of living in Syria, and relayed the information to an Israel intelligence unit that later sent letter bombs to Brunner. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. Qudsi was ousted from power as a result of the March 8 coup, but Hafiz did not take power until months later. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. [11] Start with Mossad [ edit] At first, he refused. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. Israel has for decades worked to retrieve his remains. The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. soon Israel's tanks and cannon riposted with heavy fire, and minutes later mirage pounded the Syrian position and blasted the cannon of Syria that was dug. 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. But in 1965, he was unmasked. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". [30], Cohen has become a national hero in Israel, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named for him. Eli, after all, was born in an Arab country, had oriental features, was known to be selfless and fearless in pursuit of a cause, and had knowledge of Arabic, English, and French. 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 born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. click the link in that email to complete your registration. 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 had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. 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. Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. "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. His final visit was in 1964. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? The children could not react to Eli's absence. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. 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.. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. One of his friends found a new job as an accountant, month later he Marty with Nadia, a nurse of Iraqi origin. He returned home to his family only a few times during his mission. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title.
'I know where Eli Cohen is buried,' says alleged son of ex - ynetnews Eli's handlers were continually persuading him to return. 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. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. Al-Hafidh claims he was in negotiations with the Mossad to reveal the information, but wanted $1million for his services which the intelligence agency refused to pay. [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. From 1948 until 1967, Syria firing mortar shells from the Syrian occupied Golan Heights into the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee below. 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 1954, Egyptian authorities arrested Eli for being a terror suspect. one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. 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. The Golan is not only important for its military significance. 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. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). A devout Jew, Cohen wore tefillin during prayer, in his youth he planned of becoming a Rabbi with the backup of Moise Ventura (1893-1978), Chief Rabbi of Alexandria but the Rabbinical School closed down. [12][20][21] Cohen was able to find out that the Syrians planned to divert the Jordan River headwaters in an attempt to deprive Israel of water resources, providing information to Israeli forces that enabled them to destroy the equipment prepared for the task. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. In The Spy, based on the true story of Israeli agent Eli Cohen, comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen takes on a serious role, playing the title character. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. Eli Cohen's daughter Sofia Ben-Dor was excited about it because that is all they have. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. 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..
'The Spy' Creator Gideon Raff on the True, 'Heartbreaking' Love Story 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. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice.
Fifty-Five Years without Eli Cohen | Tuvia Book | The Blogs On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? 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. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. A number were only released 14 years later, after the 1967 War. . Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. By Lianne Back. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. 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]. He then underwent a show trial, like the Operation Susannah spies had in Egypt 12 years before., Like them, his verdict was predetermined. 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. ", "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. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed.
Nadia Cohen: The Untold Story of the wife of Eli Cohen 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. Asked to pinpoint what she found not to be reflective of her familys experience, Ben-Dor cited the ethnic gap, noting her mother was never a maid as was portrayed in the series. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited.
Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. The information he had been providing them for years was too good to forego. "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. You're not alone. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . 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 transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. The location of Cohen's body remains unknown. I give you my blessing. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. [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 worked as an accountant and translator. Israels defense planners urgently needed reliable intelligence on the scope of the water diversion project engineering plans, diagrams, maps, and other data and up-to-the-minute assessments of Soviet influence in the Syrian capital, as well as detailed information on plans for the modernization, equipping, and retraining of Syrian forces. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. 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. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. Nadia and Eli Cohen pictured in the 1960s The 41-year-old was brutally hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, in May 1965 - and despite his last request to have his body returned to Israel, the Syrian authorities have to this day never disclosed the whereabouts of his remains. 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. 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. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. 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 his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as .
Steve Cohen's daughter Sophia splits from fianc - Page Six 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. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. 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. 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. 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. Source:The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, (c) 1992-2007.
Eli Cohen's daughter lukewarm on 'The Spy,' but likes Sacha Baron Cohen Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. 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. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. 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. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated).
Why Mossad's Retrieval of Eli Cohen's Watch Matters - SOFREP However, Eli's loyalty was scrutinized, and he faced harassment by the 'Muslim Brotherhood.' Thats why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.