Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. your father and uncle opened a textile store, but it went bankrupt your father died in 1956 and six months later your mother died too. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. one after the other 69 people were arrested. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. The Story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli Superspy Who Almost Became Syria's [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. In early 1964, Eli was able to radio Tel Aviv that the channel was being dug along the entire length of the Syrian Heights to receive the diverted flow of the Baniyas River - one of the Jordans major sources - and empty into Jordanian territory. Eli carefully spelled out all the details of the project and passed them on to Israeli Intelligence. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. So now we have a request. 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. 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. 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. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. 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. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. 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. 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. In Episode 5, Maurice puts the clues together when he covers for the regular analyst that communicates with Cohen using Morse code. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. 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. In the footsteps of a spy: Exploring the Golan's Eli Cohen Trail Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). 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. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. Fifty-Five Years without Eli Cohen | Tuvia Book | The Blogs Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. One of his friends found a new job as an accountant, month later he Marty with Nadia, a nurse of Iraqi origin. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. Since Eli did not have a steady job back then, even though he worked as an accountant, he had to rely more on Nadia to help support the family and their marriage. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. Despite her criticism of the series, Ben-Dor said she understood why the shows creators took artistic license with her fathers story. 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. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. He was interrogated and tortured. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. 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. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee 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. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. [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. For more than 50 years, Nadia has fought to have her husbands body returned to Israel. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. It takes just a few seconds. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. He was tortured, but he wouldnt give away any incriminating information about Israel. 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.. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. [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. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. 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. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. Cohen accepted the calling. 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. Why Mossad's Retrieval of Eli Cohen's Watch Matters - SOFREP 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. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. 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. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. 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. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. Eli Cohen's daughter lukewarm on 'The Spy,' but likes Sacha Baron Cohen . 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. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anythingDo what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. In January 1965, Syrian security officers broke into Elis apartment while he was in the middle of his escape to Israel. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Incorrect password. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. Even after the blown operation led to the demise of the Operation Susannah spies, Eli Cohen left Egypt for Israel to undergo intensive espionage training in the summer of 1955. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. 4 Min Read. 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.". Cohen expressed fear of discovery to the Mossad on his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964, and he stated that he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. [31] A memorial stone has been erected to Cohen in the Garden of the Missing Soldiers in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. 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.Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. 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. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen.
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