The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. 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. 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. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. 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. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. 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. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. He was caught and sentenced to death. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. 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. one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. 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. 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. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. 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. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. 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. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. Eli Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. 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. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. But even after four decades, there are still many questions related to the Eli Cohen affair, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy. He died in 2009. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. Its waters flow into the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret) and south to the Dead Sea. 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. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. 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. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. But changes were taking place in the Syrian Government that alarmed Eli. 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.Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated). The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. 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. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. In 1954, Egyptian authorities arrested Eli for being a terror suspect. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. 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. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. They successfully detected radio transmissions and were able to triangulate the transmitter. He was a legend," I declare. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . Ahead of the mission, Cohen had to learn to speak Arabic in a Syrian accent rather than his native Egyptian. The Ba'athist coup and Eli Cohen's role. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. the plan was doomed from staring, one of the bombs exploded in the pocket of Philip Natanson and was arrested by police and other members were caught in the following days. His work bored him and he attempted to join the Mossad, but he was offended when the Mossad rejected him, and he resigned from military counter-intelligence. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. 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. He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. 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. ", "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? Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anything. (Haim Zach/GPO). Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. [7], In January 1965, Syrian officials, who used Soviet-made tracking equipment and were assisted by Soviet experts, increased their efforts to find a high-level spy. So now we have a request. I think as long as Bashar Assad is in power I dont see the word progress,' she said, referring to Syrias dictator. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. Nadia, however, never remarried. Spouse/Ex-: Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Born Country: Iraq Family Members Iraqi Female Life with Eli Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. [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. 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.. He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. 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. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. 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. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. 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. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. 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 August 2008, Assad's former bureau chief, Monthir Maosily, revealed that Eli had been buried thrice and that Israel would never receive his body. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. Today, one can see the former Syrian bunkers that remain on the Golan Heights from 1967 (as well as the tanks from 1973). But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. At the beginning of the 1956 War, when Israel occupied the Sinai, Eli Cohen was detained by the Egyptian authorities, and was expelled from Egypt along with the remainder of Alexandrian Jews at the end of the war. 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. Cohen later. 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. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. He soon became accepted, well-liked, and respected, and made contacts with politicians, diplomats and military officials working out of the Syrian Embassy. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!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 motherPlease pray for my soul. 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. He ultimately complied. Again, I. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. "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. 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. Eli himself was not above the spicier part of a spys life either. "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? Since Eli did not have a steady job back then, even though he worked as an accountant, he had to rely more on Nadia to help support the family and their marriage. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. 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. 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). Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. 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. 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. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. "There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. 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. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. 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. 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.". Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. 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.. The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. [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. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects. One of the more famous aspects of his spying regarded a trip he took to the Golan Heights. Already a member? We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Eli's first instructor Yitzhak learned to memorize things, he throws a dozen objects on the table and Eli observe them for a second and described them. His successes couldn't be vocally shared with his family, however. 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. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. A number were only released 14 years later, after the 1967 War. ", "Sacha Baron Cohen To Star As Eli Cohen in Netflix Limited Series 'The Spy', Cohen's widow asks for his remains to be returned, PM's speech at the ceremony marking 40 years since the death of Eli Cohen, Our man in Damascus: Eli Cohen of blessed memory, Exhibition in the IDF & Defense Establishment Archives, Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 1), Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 2), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eli_Cohen&oldid=1140124388, Egyptian people convicted of spying for Israel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 15:41. Al-Hafidh claims he was in negotiations with the Mossad to reveal the information, but wanted $1million for his services which the intelligence agency refused to pay. Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. In addition, the commander of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani trusted no one and disliked Eli. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. In November 1965, Eli's wife wrote to Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, requesting him to send Elis remains back to Israel. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. 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. According to Scheffeldt, al-Gamal wrote in his memoirs of his friendship with Marcelle Ninio, who was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the Jewish Underground, and also about Eli Cohen. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. Israel has had a quiet northern border on the Golan with the exception of some occasional fallout from the Syrian civil war for more than 40years. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. For more than 50 years, Nadia has fought to have her husbands body returned to Israel. I give you my blessing. The children could not react to Eli's absence. 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. His final visit was in 1964. 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. Eli Cohenhad 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. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials.