The agent replied: "Will do, thanks K". In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. Eli, after all, was born in an Arab country, had oriental features, was known to be selfless and fearless in pursuit of a cause, and had knowledge of Arabic, English, and French. "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. It says this "does not imply any special relationship or endorsement". [11], The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking through the agency's files of rejected candidates, after none of the current candidates seemed suitable for the job. 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. 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. 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. Later, visiting his sister-in-law, Cohen's wife Nadia, he notices that she has a brand new Singer sewing machine in her home. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. The Story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli Superspy Who Almost Became Syria's I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever. 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. He soon became accepted, well-liked, and respected, and made contacts with politicians, diplomats and military officials working out of the Syrian Embassy. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. In the 1960s, Israel developed a national water carrier which diverted water from the Kinneret into a pipeline that irrigated much of the country and especially Israels arid south. Fifty-Five Years without Eli Cohen | Tuvia Book | The Blogs Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. 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. 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 1960, he was recruited to join the Mossad for a special mission in which he was to pretend to be a Syrian businessman returning to the country after having lived in Argentina. "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. 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. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. It hurt. become close friends. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. 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. 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. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. 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. Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. (Israel GPO), President Reuven Rivlin and Nadia Cohen, at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Mossad super spy Eli Cohen, May 18, 2015. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. Eli's handlers were continually persuading him to return. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. But changes were taking place in the Syrian Government that alarmed Eli. "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. [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. They successfully detected radio transmissions and were able to triangulate the transmitter. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. He ultimately complied. 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. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. Nadia Cohen attempted to appeal for clemency at the Syrian Embassy in Paris but was turned 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. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his It takes just a few seconds. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated). Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. 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. 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. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. At times before the civil war, the Syrians used Israels northern border with Lebanon to harass Israel the way they used to from the Golan Heights. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. Cohen heads to Germany to discuss Iran uranium enrichment, IRGC Cohen was convicted of espionage. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. [7], Following state-sponsored anti-Semitic attacks on its Jewish communities, many of them fled or were expelled, and Cohen was forced to leave the country in December 1956. The TV film 'The Impossible Spy' (1987) chronicled Eli's life. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. Again, I. Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? 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. 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. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. He emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. He had seventeen lovers in Syria, all dazzling beauties with a fair degree of family power. Eli hoped as did Israeli Intelligence that these women would help him escape in time of crisis.. According to his fictional biography, in 1948 the family moved to Argentina, where they opened a successful textile business. Kamal Amin Taabets (Eli Cohen) return to Syria would ostensibly be the fulfillment of a lifelong patriotic dream. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). 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. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? From the creation of Israel through, the present day, Syria has been one, if not the most, implacable of Israels enemies. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. 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. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. [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. Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. At first, he refused. If you've already watched all of The Spy and are curious to know more about Cohen, then these accounts of the real-life Cohen might make for curious reading. With time he was taken even more into the confidence of the highest echelons of power. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. 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. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. 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. In the fifties, Israel had launched a project of huge pipeline and canals that would carry a part of the jorden river water to the arid Negev region. Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen) was the kind of guy to leave his wife spontaneous love letters throughout the house. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. ", "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? During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" In January 1947, he was enlisted in the Egyptian army as an alternative to paying the mandatory sum that all young Jews had to pay. 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. Syria brought hydraulic engineers and diversion equipment to actualize the scheme. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. 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. 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. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. 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.
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