The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . But Sophie was born without seeing his father. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. [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. 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.. 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. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. ", "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. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. 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. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). 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. It hurt. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. 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. Israel tried to obtain the cooperation of her Arab neighbors for the plan, but the Arabs would not agree, even when the United States tried to use its diplomatic leverage for the furtherance of the plan. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. Eli Cohen's daughter Sofia Ben-Dor was excited about it because that is all they have. in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. But as with all fictional works that derive from real-life events, The Spy, perhaps for reasons ranging from time constraints to story relevance, omits some points in Cohen's story. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. 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 Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. 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. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. Eli's handlers were continually persuading him to return. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. Incorrect password. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. She smiles. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. It takes just a few seconds. 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. 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. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. In 1965, the Syrian secret service was on high alert. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. [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. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. 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. He was interrogated and tortured. 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. one after the other 69 people were arrested. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. He did not object, in fact, to the idea of a ladies man reputation. But his knowledge of. 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. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. He reminded me of my father sometimes, she added. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. It also provides 30% of Israels water sources. 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. 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]. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. 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. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. He was driven to the airport, where his wife Nadia saw him off. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. From 1948 until 1967, Syria firing mortar shells from the Syrian occupied Golan Heights into the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee below. ", "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? At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. 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. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. In 1949, his parents and three brothers moved to Israel while Eli remained in Egypt to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities there. The president was ousted from power a year later in 1966. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. 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. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" 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. He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. 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. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. They successfully detected radio transmissions and were able to triangulate the transmitter. He worked as an accountant and translator. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. 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.
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