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On April 15, 2019, a few Israeli news agencies published unconfirmed reports of Eli's remains being recovered in Syria and stated that the remains were with a Russian delegation. He worked as an accountant. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. The TV film 'The Impossible Spy' (1987) chronicled Eli's life. You're not alone. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? 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. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. 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. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. "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). 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. 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. Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. Already a member? Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. Eli Cohen's daughter Sofia Ben-Dor was excited about it because that is all they have. He wasnt even drafted into regular service but was placed in a reserve Israeli Air Force formation as a logistics clerk. Perhaps he wasnt allowed into the security service due to his Military Intelligence evaluation some years before. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. Were they not interested? Intelligence created a completely new identity for him. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. The children could not react to Eli's absence. The location of Cohen's body remains unknown. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. 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. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. [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. [32], John Shea played Cohen in the television film The Impossible Spy (1987),[33] and Sacha Baron Cohen played him in the Netflix miniseries The Spy (2019). If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . [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. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. [30], Cohen has become a national hero in Israel, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named for him. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. 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. click the link in that email to complete your registration. 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. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. 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. their chief noticed that their decision taken by the government was broadcast to Israel. Speaking to Cohen's brother, and to Israeli and Syrian intelligence experts, Sputnik has pieced together a new look at the superspy's incredible life story. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. He was a legend," I declare. He even trained at the same facility that had served as home to his doomed Susannah compatriots in 1953. He returned to Egypt in 1956 but was suspected immediately and was placed under surveillance. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. In real life, the closeness between Hafiz and Cohen has been disputed by the former president of Syria, who claimed in a 2001 interview with Al Jazeera that they couldn't have met in Buenos Aires because Hafiz was in Moscow until 1962, by which time Cohen had gone undercover as Thaabet in Damascus. Since 1992, the Golan has been up for discussion in the peace talks, but it strikes a very emotional chord among Israelis due to its historic and strategic significance, in addition to its natural beauty. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. For his loyalties, Hafiz grooms Thaabet to be deputy defense minister in his government. Eli was brutally tortured and interrogated before he was publicly hanged on May 18, 1965, at the Marjeh Square in Damascus. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. become close friends. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. 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. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" He worked as an accountant and translator. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. 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. 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. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. He says the spies wanted him to try and talk to his father's close friends or provide insight. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. . They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? In addition, the commander of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani trusted no one and disliked Eli. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to work for Egypt's intelligence service. 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. 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. 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. one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. [28] The press announced on 5 July 2018 that Cohen's wristwatch had been retrieved from Syria. [9], Cohen continued his social life as he had in Argentina, spending time in cafes listening to political gossip. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. 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. He then moved to Damascus in February 1962, under his new identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet, to extract classified information from Syrian military officers. ", "Former Assad aide: Eli Cohen's burial site unknown],mm", "New footage emerges of Eli Cohen on the gallows", "Mossad Brings Home Watch of Israeli Spy Executed in Syria; Netanyahu Hails 'Brave' Op", "Watch of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen recovered by Mossad", "The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy", "Will Assad's Ouster Free Body of Israel Spy? He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. 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. 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.. He was interrogated and tortured. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. 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.. 4 Min Read. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. 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.". Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. I send you my last kisses to you and to the children: Sophie, Irit, and Shaoul, and to the rest of my family, especially my mother. Nadia and 'Mossad' were on bad terms until Meir Dagan was made the agencys chief. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen) was the kind of guy to leave his wife spontaneous love letters throughout the house. "It works with a range of international intelligence agencies,'' the NZSIS said in response. The border with Syria was heating up as well. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. 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 was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. 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. That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. In 1965, the Syrian secret service was on high alert. 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. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. 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]. "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. But changes were taking place in the Syrian Government that alarmed Eli. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. 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. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. He died in 2009. (Haim Zach/GPO). Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. Cohen accepted the calling. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. The transmissions became longer as well. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. I don't want to go to my death longing for my Eli to rest in the soil of the land that he loved and for which he gave his life. 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. [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. 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 For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. 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. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. In 1949, his parents and three brothers moved to Israel while Eli remained in Egypt to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities there. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. All these years, I remained faithful to him. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. 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. 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. World leaders, wealthy individuals, the Israeli government, the pope, and others all intervened on his behalf. 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. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. Thus, he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. This coincided with the continuance of Palestinian terrorist infiltrators arriving from the Syrian border, along with a continual flow of Soviet technical assistance to Syria. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. 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. 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. 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. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. Later, visiting his sister-in-law, Cohen's wife Nadia, he notices that she has a brand new Singer sewing machine in her home. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. It also provides 30% of Israels water sources. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. Last Friday marked the 53rd anniversary of the execution of Eli Cohen, the Egyptian-born Israeli spy who burrowed his way so deep into the Syrian state apparatus he nearly came to head it. Cohen was born and raised in Egypt and was expelled to Israel in 1956.