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. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. 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 Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. 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. 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. Out of fear of being caught, Eli expressed his wish to visit Israel in November 1964, to pass on information and also witness the birth of his third child. one after the other 69 people were arrested. Ahead of the mission, Cohen had to learn to speak Arabic in a Syrian accent rather than his native Egyptian. But his knowledge of. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. He remembered and passed on to Israeli Intelligence the positioning of every Syrian gun, trench, and machine-gun nest in each Golan Heights fortification; tank traps, designed to impede any Israeli attack, were also identified and memorized for future targeting.. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. Khalid al-Hafidh, a Syrian migrant living in Auckland, claims to be the son Amin al-Hafiz, a Syrian leader who presided over the country during Cohen's execution and his subsequent secret burial. 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. 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. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. Instead, he joined the Egyptian merchant marine and was involved in a number of scams, which resulted in his arrest by the Egyptian secret service in 1952. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. It takes just a few seconds. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever. Decades after the Eli Cohen affair there are still many questions, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy (from the archive). 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. He died in 2009. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. 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. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. All these years, I remained faithful to him. When the Golan was captured in 1967, at almost the end of the Six-Day War, settlers in the north could finally feel relieved. [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. With time he was taken even more into the confidence of the highest echelons of power. [15], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: ). The border with Syria was heating up as well. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. His training was extensive and exhaustive. 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. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. 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. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. In his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as . Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. He did not object, in fact, to the idea of a ladies man reputation. He soon established himself in the social and cultural life of the Syrian community of Buenos Aires and was known as a wealthy businessman who was generous, tipped well, and loved the night life. Israel has had a quiet northern border on the Golan with the exception of some occasional fallout from the Syrian civil war for more than 40years. Confused, he took the case to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, the official responsible for supervising New Zealand's two main intelligence agencies, telling him he could have solved the 53-year-old mystery. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. 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. 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. 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. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. [11] Start with Mossad [ edit] He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, and many Mossad officials attended Eli's son's bar mitzvah in 1977. Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. By Lianne Back. The Spy, which was released Friday, tells the story of Cohen, who spied for Israel in Syria during the 1960s, providing valuable intelligence that was said to have greatly assisted the Israeli military in the 1967 Six Day War. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. Others have attributed the carelessness to an almost suicidal tendency perhaps, it was later surmised, he had been in the undercover world too long, but knew he couldnt get out of it. Sign in to stop seeing this, Sara Netanyahu accosted by protesters at Tel Aviv hair salon, extricated by police, Brides joy turns to sorrow after Elan Ganeles killed driving to her wedding, Hiker discovers 2,500-year-old ancient receipt from reign of Purim kings father, Netanyahu compares Tel Aviv protesters to settlers who set fire to Huwara. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. He then moved to Damascus in February 1962, under his new identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet, to extract classified information from Syrian military officers. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. 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. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. 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 had three brothers. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. In early 1961, Chaim Herzog, Chief of Military Intelligence and later president of Israel, signed the document authorizing Cohens use as a spy. He returned home to his family only a few times during his mission. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. 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. "Suddenly something changed there toward us. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. Maurice isn't sure what this means. Cohen later. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. ", "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.
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