His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. 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. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. 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. Thats when he met Nadia Majald, an Iraqi-born Jewish woman who lived near his brother and his wife. In 1962 Eli cohen was in Damascus with crowded mosques and colorful souks, he rented a luxurious villa in the classy Abu Ramen neighborhood, close to the Syrian embassy. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. 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. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. Were they not interested? 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. The Golan is not only important for its military significance. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. [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. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, and many Mossad officials attended Eli's son's bar mitzvah in 1977. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. 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. For his loyalties, Hafiz grooms Thaabet to be deputy defense minister in his government. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. With senior staff officers acting as guides, Eli Cohen was provided an in-depth intelligence briefing of monumental proportions. They even photographed Eli on the Golan Heights, looking over into Israel, alongside the most high-ranking Syrian officers. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. Maurice isn't sure what this means. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. 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. 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. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. Nadia, however, never remarried. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). Israel's minister of defense Pinhas Lavon and colonel Benyamin Gibli head of military intelligence, concocted a dangerous and foolish plan if several terrorist bombings were swept Egypt, the British will return to its former bases and concluded that Egypt's couldn't maintain law and order. [31] A memorial stone has been erected to Cohen in the Garden of the Missing Soldiers in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem. 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. Intelligence officers who investigated the issue offered two possibilities: The first is that it was Egyptian intelligence that identified Cohen and gave him up to the Syrians; the second, which is considered more probable, is that the demand for information was so great that frequent communications via radio to Mossad headquarters exposed Cohen to Syrian counterintelligence. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. 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. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. This material may not be republished without the permission of the copyright owner. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. 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. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. 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. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. He was a legend," I declare. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. "Sophie's. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report. This coincided with the continuance of Palestinian terrorist infiltrators arriving from the Syrian border, along with a continual flow of Soviet technical assistance to Syria. In January 1965, Syrian security officers broke into Elis apartment while he was in the middle of his escape to Israel. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. 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. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. He continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. 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. The highly vigilant Russian security experts, equipped with very sensitive technical intelligence-gathering equipment, pinpointed the source of the transmissions in the Syrian capital and it was Elis home. In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. World leaders, wealthy individuals, the Israeli government, the pope, and others all intervened on his behalf. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. 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. The daughter of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen said Sunday it hurt to watch the new Netflix series about her fathers life and execution in Syria, lamenting some historical inaccuracies in the adaptation but praising Sacha Baron Cohens performance. The agent replied: "Will do, thanks K". But in 1965, he was unmasked. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. ", "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. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. I give you my blessing. He worked as an accountant and translator. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. It also provides 30% of Israels water sources. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. Learn more. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. 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 training was extensive and exhaustive. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". It takes just a few seconds. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. 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. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. 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. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. The next day he comes to Hassan's office and admitted that he is sick and tired to live in Argentina, he wanted to go back to Syria, could he help him with a letter of recommendation? 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. 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. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. So now we have a request. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. 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 a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. Nadia and 'Mossad' were on bad terms until Meir Dagan was made the agencys chief. He had three brothers. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. "The moment that they informed me [of the watch's recovery] my mouth went dry and I got the chills," Nadia told Israeli TV. According to Scheffeldt, Cohen and al-Gamal were arrested together in 1954 and released shortly after. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . 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. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. [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. Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. A month later, a Syrian officer would say that one of Israel's attack architects had been Eli Cohen, who was in Israel during the battle. 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. There he met members of the Jewish Underground, handled by Unit 131 of Israel's Military Intelligence, which was exposed by the Egyptians in 1954. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. click the link in that email to complete your registration. The daughter of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen said Sunday "it hurt" to watch the new Netflix series about her father's life and execution in Syria, lamenting some historical inaccuracies in. 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 Cohen, Israels most famous spy, also happened to be a hopeless romantic. "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. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. 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. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. Instead, he joined the Egyptian merchant marine and was involved in a number of scams, which resulted in his arrest by the Egyptian secret service in 1952. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. "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." In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. 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. The husband hunters among the Damascus rich and influential flocked to the handsome Taabet, hoping that their almond eyes, Byzantine beauty, and olive skin would secure a future of wealth and power: He became the most sought-after bachelor in the Syrian capital. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her.
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