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In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. Eli Cohen The Most Successful Name in The History of Espionage Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. Eli was brutally tortured and interrogated before he was publicly hanged on May 18, 1965, at the Marjeh Square in Damascus. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. 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. in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. His first assignment was to infiltrate the Jewish community of Alexandria. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. "It works with a range of international intelligence agencies,'' the NZSIS said in response. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. 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.. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. But in 1965, he was unmasked. Recruitment into the Mossad. Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. 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. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. The six-part drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen has gripped viewers and critics alike with its pulse-racing tale of espionage and a deceptively good dramatic performance by Sacha Baron Cohen, better known for his comedy work, as the Mossad agent. Incorrect password. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. The spy who never came home - The Jewish Chronicle The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. Nadia Cohen: The Untold Story of the wife of Eli Cohen They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. The Syrian officer readily agreed and Eli immediately passed the information onto Israel. 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. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. become close friends. She also said she understood and respected the show. What Netflix's 'The Spy' Gets Wrong About Eli Cohen [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. 4 Min Read. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. Already a member? Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. 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.. 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. He worked as an accountant and translator. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. 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. Sophia Cohen the 26-year-old daughter of billionaire hedge funder and Mets owner Steve Cohen is no longer engaged to her financier boyfriend Jason Levine, Page Six has confirmed. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. 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. She smiles. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. It takes just a few seconds. 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. Qudsi was ousted from power as a result of the March 8 coup, but Hafiz did not take power until months later. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. [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. 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. Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. 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. The Arabs would have none of it and decided to divert the sources of the Jordan River which originated in Arab-held territory. In this way, the Arabs hoped to deprive Israel of the waters she would need for her national growth. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. The Story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli Superspy Who Almost Became Syria's I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. 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. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. While Eli was not directly involved with the Operation Susannah spies, he was involved with pro-Israel activity, and he was brutally questioned by Egypts Intelligence Services. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. He says the spies wanted him to try and talk to his father's close friends or provide insight. "Suddenly something changed there toward us. Because of that, perhaps he just tired of the whole charade. In order to capture the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, Israeli soldiers had to knock out a number of well-fortified Syrian outposts. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. ", "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 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]. 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. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. In the footsteps of a spy: Exploring the Golan's Eli Cohen Trail She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. Were they not interested? After several days, Eli got a new identity as. He was sentenced to death. "There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing. [11] Start with Mossad [ edit] 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. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" He then underwent a show trial, like the Operation Susannah spies had in Egypt 12 years before., Like them, his verdict was predetermined. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. There he met members of the Jewish Underground, handled by Unit 131 of Israel's Military Intelligence, which was exposed by the Egyptians in 1954. He returned home to his family only a few times during his mission. 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. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. 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. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. had 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. their chief noticed that their decision taken by the government was broadcast to Israel. (Haim Zach/GPO). [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee (PMO), Sacha Baron Cohen as Israeli spy Eli Cohen in The Spy (YouTube screenshot), Mossad spy Eli Cohen, executed in Syria in 1965. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. 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. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. 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. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. Cohen's widow, Nadia, said that following the report she appealed directly to Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, demanding answers as to why the deal did not go through. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. 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. [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. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. Again, I. One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. I give you my blessing. 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. 'Disturbing' footage emerges from famed Israeli spy's execution in The drunk guests would often end up blabbing about their work to Cohen, who was sober but would pretend to be intoxicated. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. 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. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. Learn more. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. He worked as an accountant. The children could not react to Eli's absence. In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. He was caught and sentenced to death. But it . 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. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). But the series did not give al-Gamal enough credit, she said, and this led her to reveal his memoirs, which he wrote in secret and deposited with a lawyer for safekeeping. 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. In the 1987 TV movie 'The Impossible Spy,' Michal Bat-Adam portrayed Nadia, while in the 2019 'Netflix' series 'The Spy,' Hadar Ratzon-Rotem played her, with Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli. In 1951, he was arrested and interrogated over his Jewish and Zionist activities that he was carrying out under the tutelage of Alexandria's chief rabbi. He had also participated in various Israeli furtive operations in the country during the 1950s. [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). The highly vigilant Russian security experts, equipped with very sensitive technical intelligence-gathering equipment, pinpointed the source of the transmissions in the Syrian capital and it was Elis home. Eli Cohen's daughter lukewarm on 'The Spy,' but likes Sacha Baron Cohen Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic, but welcomes publicity He is being executed according to the two articles 158 and 159 of the military penal code, and articles 271, 272, and 274 of the general penal code. At first, he refused. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. 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. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. In Episode 5, Maurice puts the clues together when he covers for the regular analyst that communicates with Cohen using Morse code. In Episode 5, Cohen's playboy-esque Thaabet hosts a sex party at his apartment to distract key government and military officials while the Ba'ath Party's military committee seizes power in Damascus. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. 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. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. In a February 2006 interview with Jewish Magazine, Maurice Cohen said that he informed his brother that he knew he was "our man in Damascus" in an intriguing way, rather than outright confronting him as seen in The Spy. 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. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . 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. You're not alone. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. Fifty-Five Years without Eli Cohen | Tuvia Book | The Blogs So now we have a request. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. 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. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. 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. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. He was a legend," I declare. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. 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. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: 'When he was caught, something died Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. 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. In 'The Spy,' Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Serious : NPR "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 Syria's Jewish community, in particular." 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.