Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. [9], Syria refused to return Cohen's body to his family in Israel, and his wife Nadia sent a letter to Amin al-Hafiz in November 1965 asking his forgiveness for Cohen's actions and requesting his remains. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. A devout Jew, Cohen wore tefillin during prayer, in his youth he planned of becoming a Rabbi with the backup of Moise Ventura (1893-1978), Chief Rabbi of Alexandria but the Rabbinical School closed down. 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. 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. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. In his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as . One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. His first assignment was to infiltrate the Jewish community of Alexandria. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. 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 al-Gamal's version, he saw a photograph in an Arab newspaper at a newspaper stand in Frankfurt's train station that showed Amin Kamel Thabet touring fortifications on the Golan Heights with Syrian officers. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. But his knowledge of. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. Steve Cohen's daughter Sophia splits from fianc - Page Six They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. Eli Cohen's daughter lukewarm on 'The Spy,' but likes Sacha Baron Cohen Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. Because of that, perhaps he just tired of the whole charade. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. Nadia and 'Mossad' were on bad terms until Meir Dagan was made the agencys chief. For four years, Cohen posed as a Syrian textile businessman named Kamal Amin Thabet, first in Argentina and later in Damascus. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. 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. . This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. 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. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. Syrian counterintelligence eventually uncovered the spy conspiracy and convicted Cohen under pre-war martial law, sentencing him to death and hanging him publicly in 1965. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. 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.". This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his (Haim Zach/GPO). 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. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. He continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. With time he was taken even more into the confidence of the highest echelons of power. The information he had been providing them for years was too good to forego. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. 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). Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, place of death: Al Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria, See the events in life of Eli Cohen in Chronological Order, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubQ6b-9OewI, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ9cUmvkgmg. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Fifty-Five Years without Eli Cohen | Tuvia Book | The Blogs Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. 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. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. 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. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. Nadia Cohen - Life Story of Widow of Israeli Spy Eli Cohen - Facts Ninja On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. Still Ben-Dor, who was four years old when her father was killed, said she was pleasantly surprised by actor Cohens portrayal. Again, I. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. It hurt. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. By Lianne Back. 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. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. As the Syrian Army officer explained to Eli the fortifications the Syrian Army had built, Eli suggested that the Syrians plant trees there to deceive the Israelis into thinking it was unfortified, as well as to provide shade and beauty for the soldiers stationed there. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. The location of Cohen's body remains unknown. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Hes a trusted friend.. 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. 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. He says the spies wanted him to try and talk to his father's close friends or provide insight. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. 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. I want him (Yossi Cohen) to clarify what hapepned," said the 84-year-old. In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. In the footsteps of a spy: Exploring the Golan's Eli Cohen Trail That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). "There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing. "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." Nadia and Eli Cohen pictured in the 1960s The 41-year-old was brutally hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, in May 1965 - and despite his last request to have his body returned to Israel, the Syrian authorities have to this day never disclosed the whereabouts of his remains. Eli's wife Nadia, played by Hadar Ratzon Rotem, has to deal with raising two children without her husband, who disappears for up to a year at a time without being allowed to tell her what he's actually doing or even where he is. [7] He took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 1950s, although the Egyptian government could never prove his involvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews out of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility in Egypt. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . 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. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. 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.. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Cohen publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square, The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 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. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. To no avail. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. Eli Cohen | My Jewish Learning 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. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. But it . The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. 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.
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