Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. "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. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? But his knowledge of. 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. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. 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. [9], Syria refused to return Cohen's body to his family in Israel, and his wife Nadia sent a letter to Amin al-Hafiz in November 1965 asking his forgiveness for Cohen's actions and requesting his remains. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. In 1962 Eli cohen was in Damascus with crowded mosques and colorful souks, he rented a luxurious villa in the classy Abu Ramen neighborhood, close to the Syrian embassy. HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - A Netflix drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s and was later executed, has received a . At the end of 1961, Syria dissolved its union with Egypt, which had lasted a mere three years. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. 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. 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 want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. 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. I want him (Yossi Cohen) to clarify what hapepned," said the 84-year-old. 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. But as with all fictional works that derive from real-life events, The Spy, perhaps for reasons ranging from time constraints to story relevance, omits some points in Cohen's story. 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. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. 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. In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated). Eli, who would feign intoxication, remained sober and listened carefully., In addition to providing loans to government officials and acting as an avid host, he was asked for advice by government officials, who were often intoxicated by the alcohol he freely provided. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. 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 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. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. 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]. 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. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. 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. 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? In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. In early 1961, Chaim Herzog, Chief of Military Intelligence and later president of Israel, signed the document authorizing Cohens use as a spy. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. [26], Monthir Maosily, the former bureau chief of Hafez Al-Assad, claimed in August 2008 that the Syrians had buried him three times to stop the remains from being taken back to Israel via a special operation. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. 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. their chief noticed that their decision taken by the government was broadcast to Israel. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. He soon became accepted, well-liked, and respected, and made contacts with politicians, diplomats and military officials working out of the Syrian Embassy. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. In the 1960s, Israel developed a national water carrier which diverted water from the Kinneret into a pipeline that irrigated much of the country and especially Israels arid south. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel, 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved, Sophie Ben-Dor (Screen capture: Channel 12 News), This undated photo shows Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria wearing a wristwatch recovered by the Mossad in 2018. 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. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At the beginning of the 1956 War, when Israel occupied the Sinai, Eli Cohen was detained by the Egyptian authorities, and was expelled from Egypt along with the remainder of Alexandrian Jews at the end of the war. The Syrians have consistently refused to do so. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. From 1948 until 1967, Syria firing mortar shells from the Syrian occupied Golan Heights into the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee below. 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.". 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. 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. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. You're not alone. One of the more famous aspects of his spying regarded a trip he took to the Golan Heights. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. 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. 4 Min Read. When the Golan was captured in 1967, at almost the end of the Six-Day War, settlers in the north could finally feel relieved. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Cohen accepted the calling. On January 25, 2000, Nadia presented a picture of a new postage stamp with Elis face, to Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, honoring her husband. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. He worked as an accountant and translator. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. 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. The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. 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. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. 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.