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By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. 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. one after the other 69 people were arrested. "Suddenly something changed there toward us. tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. 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 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. 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. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. But his knowledge of. 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. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever. In 1965, the Syrian secret service was on high alert. 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. 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.". I give you my blessing. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. On January 24, 1965, Syrian intelligence broke into his home in the middle of a transmission. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. After some months, Abdel Latif Hassan introduces Eli to General Amin El-Hafez, the military attache at the embassy. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. "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. [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. [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. Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. 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. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). (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. 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. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, place of death: Al Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria, See the events in life of Eli Cohen in Chronological Order, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubQ6b-9OewI, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ9cUmvkgmg. That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. 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. He had three brothers. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. 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. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. Military Stories site will provide you the latest News related to military. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to work for Egypt's intelligence service. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. 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. 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. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. In 1960, the national intelligence agency of Israel, 'Mossad,' approached Eli for a classified mission in Syria. I want him (Yossi Cohen) to clarify what hapepned," said the 84-year-old. He was tortured, but he wouldnt give away any incriminating information about Israel. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. 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. In the name of the Syrian Arab people, The Military court has decided in its meeting which was held on Muharram 7th, 1385 - May 8th, 1965 to sentence Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, a resident of Tel Aviv in Occupied Palestine, to death for committing the following crimes: The crime of disguised entry into a military location. Nadia Cohen, widow of executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen, speaks to Channel 2 on September 20, 2016 after Syrian opposition forces release new video showing moments after he was hanged in. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. 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. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. In a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. Learn more. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. Monthir Maosily, a former bureau chief for Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, claimed in 2007 that Hafiz and Cohen were not as close as was made out and that stories of Cohen infiltrating the very top of Syrian politics "had been exaggerated to undermine Syria, as if he was a spy who had transmitted Syria's deepest secrets.". 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. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. In 1954, Egyptian authorities arrested Eli for being a terror suspect. He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. On the day of his execution, his last wish to see a rabbi was respected by the prison authorities, and Nissim Indibo, the elderly Chief Rabbi of Syria, accompanied him in the truck. He worked as an accountant and translator. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. 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.. To no avail. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. they suspect on a tablet but they verify the Tibet's transmission two times at 8 am precisely they broke into the tablet home, Eli was caught red-handed in the transmission. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. 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.. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. [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. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. 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. He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. 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. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. Hes a trusted friend.. But an interview published in the Cairo Times yesterday with the German-born Weltrude Scheffeldt-Biton suggests that Egyptian intelligence played the most important role in unmasking Cohen. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. Some attributed this to a sense of cockiness (despite the fears he had expressed in November 1964), due to the ability and ease he had moved about in the highest echelons of Syrian power. 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. 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. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. She smiles. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. His work bored him and he attempted to join the Mossad, but he was offended when the Mossad rejected him, and he resigned from military counter-intelligence. According to his fictional biography, in 1948 the family moved to Argentina, where they opened a successful textile business. Kamal Amin Taabets (Eli Cohen) return to Syria would ostensibly be the fulfillment of a lifelong patriotic dream. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. He was sentenced to death. In the fifties, Israel had launched a project of huge pipeline and canals that would carry a part of the jorden river water to the arid Negev region. Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. 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. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. [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. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. "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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. The previous year, which marked Elis 50th death anniversary, Nadia had addressed a memorial dedicated to him. [9], Cohen continued his social life as he had in Argentina, spending time in cafes listening to political gossip. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. 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. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. Nadia, however, never remarried. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. 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. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. 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. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anything. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. Eli Cohen's daughter Sofia Ben-Dor was excited about it because that is all they have. Cohen was born in 1924 in Alexandria, Egypt to a devout Mizrahi Jewish and Zionist family. But it . The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. 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. 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. He worked as an accountant and translator. 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. 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. It, however, did not change the situation. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. In August 2008, Assad's former bureau chief, Monthir Maosily, revealed that Eli had been buried thrice and that Israel would never receive his body. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. 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. From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? Cohen accepted the calling. 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. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. The Syrians have consistently refused to do so. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. In 1949, his parents and three brothers moved to Israel while Eli remained in Egypt to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities there. 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. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. 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. 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. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" "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. Syrian counterintelligence eventually uncovered the spy conspiracy and convicted Cohen under pre-war martial law, sentencing him to death and hanging him publicly in 1965. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. 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. 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. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. The daughter of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen said Sunday "it hurt" to watch the new Netflix series about her father's life and execution in Syria, lamenting some historical inaccuracies in. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. Nadia and 'Mossad' were on bad terms until Meir Dagan was made the agencys chief. [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. The film featured John Shea as Eli. One of his friends found a new job as an accountant, month later he Marty with Nadia, a nurse of Iraqi origin. The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. [30], Cohen has become a national hero in Israel, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named for him. one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. He soon became accepted, well-liked, and respected, and made contacts with politicians, diplomats and military officials working out of the Syrian Embassy.