It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Maurice Cohen told his brother he had a new phone line installed in his house and "gave the number of his apartment in Damascus, which I had received in a message just before he'd come home.". I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. Thus, he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. 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. Cohen later. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: Netflix drama 'raises my blood pressure' 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. He then underwent a show trial, like the Operation Susannah spies had in Egypt 12 years before., Like them, his verdict was predetermined. The children could not react to Eli's absence. He was taught high-speed evasive driving techniques, Weapons proficiency (especially with a wide variety of small arms), topography, map reading, sabotage, and, most importantly, radio transmissions and cryptography. He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. It was hard to see the distance from the truth in some parts of the series, Sophie Ben-Dor said in an interview with Channel 12 news. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. 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. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. The drunk guests would often end up blabbing about their work to Cohen, who was sober but would pretend to be intoxicated. The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. After some months, Abdel Latif Hassan introduces Eli to General Amin El-Hafez, the military attache at the embassy. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee one after the other 69 people were arrested. Every morning, Eli would leave home and head for the Aman training center. He reminded me of my father sometimes, she added. . 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. 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 Syrias Jewish community, in particular.. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? All these years, I remained faithful to him. Israel could be the target of an aggressive attack by a larger, better Egyptian army that wanted to avenge its shameful defect in the Israel Independence War. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. Eli Cohen - Jewish Virtual Library 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. "There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. The Syrian officer readily agreed and Eli immediately passed the information onto Israel. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. I give you my blessing. 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. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. But in 1965, he was unmasked. [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. 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. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World Cohen was convicted of espionage. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. He emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. [19] He also learned of a secret plan to create three successive lines of bunkers and mortars; the Israel Defense Forces would otherwise have expected to encounter only a single line. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. 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. But his knowledge of the Arab language and Arab culture, as well as prior work in espionage in Egypt, made him a good candidate for the Mossad. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. He worked as an accountant and translator. Unending Agony for Legendary Spy Eli Cohen and His Widow they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success. 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.". Eli Cohen, the spy who was larger than life - The Jerusalem Post Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. 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. They successfully detected radio transmissions and were able to triangulate the transmitter. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. He was caught and sentenced to death. In February 1961 one man handed him an Israeli passport in his real name and a plane ticket to Zurich.on his arrival, Eli was met by a white-haired man who gave him a passport from another name, that passport carried an entry visa to chile and a transit visa to Argentina. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. 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? he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. 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. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. 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. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. According to an unconfirmed but widely believed story, he feigned sympathy for the soldiers exposed to the sun and had trees planted at every position, placed to provide shade. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. [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. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. On May 15, 1965, Eli wrote a final letter to Nadia, requesting her not to mourn his death and stating that she should hold her head high, as her husband had done nothing wrong. He was interrogated and tortured. Born Country:- Iraq Wife/Husband/Ex:- Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) Children:- Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Nadia Cohen is the widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who spied in Syria by posing as a wealthy merchant during the early 1960s before being caught and hanged to death publicly. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. The previous year, which marked Elis 50th death anniversary, Nadia had addressed a memorial dedicated to him. In a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. Ahead of the mission, Cohen had to learn to speak Arabic in a Syrian accent rather than his native Egyptian. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. 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. [22], It is claimed that the intelligence that Cohen gathered before his arrest was an important factor in Israel's success in the Six-Day War,[23] although some intelligence experts have argued that the information he provided about the Golan Heights fortifications was also readily available from ground and aerial reconnaissance. Military Stories site will provide you the latest News related to military. 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. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. 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. It hurt. Thats why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. On the day of his execution, his last wish to see a rabbi was respected by the prison authorities, and Nissim Indibo, the elderly Chief Rabbi of Syria, accompanied him in the truck. [8], Israel's secret police recruited a sabotage unit of Jewish Egyptian citizens in 1955 which attempted to undermine Egypt's relationships with western powers in the "Lavon Affair". 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. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. In the short periods he came home he wanted to absorb all the love from his children, he even smelt their scent to stay with him, and he wanted to give all the love possible, like a father to his children. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. He was a legend," I declare. Hes a trusted friend.. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. It was approved by, The head of the presidency council on 17/5/1965, Top 10 Weakest Militaries in the World | The Bahamas, Central African Republic, The Gambia,Barbados, Somalia, Luxembourg military power, MiG-29 vs. Su-27: The Soviet Union's Two Top Fighters Went Head to Head in an East African Air War, Ravindra Kaushik RAW Agent ( Black Tiger) Wife, son, Death reason, | Facts about Ravindra Kaushik | Ravindra Kaushik Movie, Israel's Iron Dome Vs S-400 Russian Comparison, Price, Success Rate | Iron Dome vs S400 which is better, Top amazing facts about RAW and Agent : History, Foundation, Joining , Department of RAW, Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his wife and Children | Eli Cohen death writing translation | george seif syria. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. His successes couldn't be vocally shared with his family, however. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. 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. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. 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.". 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 December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. So now we have a request. The Spy, a six-part Netflix miniseries about Cohen's life, showcases the legendary Mossad agent's relationship with his wife, Nadia (Hadar Ratzon Rotem). On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. Cohen was born in 1924 in Alexandria, Egypt to a devout Mizrahi Jewish and Zionist family. She also said she understood and respected the show. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. On January 24, 1965, Syrian intelligence broke into his home in the middle of a transmission. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. 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. 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. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . Cohens contacts, nurtured through a string of lavish dinner parties, social occasions, and friendships with those in high places, led to invitations to visit Damascus and to set up a business venture there. Eli had to conceal the microfilm inexpensive boxes containing backgammon pieces .the music ornament could be dug out of the polished wood and reinserted after microfilm had been placed in the cavity. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. [28] The press announced on 5 July 2018 that Cohen's wristwatch had been retrieved from Syria. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. "I was cooperating with the New Zealand Secret Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Mossad, in order to help find the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen," he said. The True Story Behind The Spy on Netflix | 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. (PMO), Sacha Baron Cohen as Israeli spy Eli Cohen in The Spy (YouTube screenshot), Mossad spy Eli Cohen, executed in Syria in 1965. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. According to Scheffeldt, Cohen and al-Gamal were arrested together in 1954 and released shortly after. 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. But he refused). There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . 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. The film featured John Shea as Eli. He became far less careful in his transmissions to Israel, sometimes calling once or even twice a day and almost always at the same time, at 8:30 in the morning. ", "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? The border with Syria was heating up as well. The information he had been providing them for years was too good to forego. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant Zaher Al-Din took Eli to the El Hama military camp, where large quantities of new weapons had been stored. But changes were taking place in the Syrian Government that alarmed Eli. "It was all for good intentions. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. "Suddenly something changed there toward us. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. At first, he refused. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. Years later, in February 2007, a Turkish official confirmed that the government had agreed to look into the matter of returning Eli's remains to his family. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. 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. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. 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. "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. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. Get email notification for articles from Yossi Melman, Reproduction of an Israeli stamp being issued to honour the Mossad intelligence agency spy Eli Cohen who was hanged in Damascus. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents.