Survived by Raya Nadia, three children Sophie, Irit and Shai; Mother Sophia, and seven brothers and sisters Odette, Morris, Ezra, Sarah, Zion Ephraim and Abraham. [3] Rochelita Ermoza . After the Sinai Campaign in 1956, mass arrests of Jews were carried out in Egypt, and Eli was arrested for fear of revealing the secret of his visit to Israel and the course he had undergone in Israel, but when he arrived at the police station it became clear that the Egyptian authorities arrested thousands of Jews Without investigation, and he found himself with a large group of Jews in a detention camp. On his return to Damascus, at one of the new Syrian elite parties, he dubbed the contractor who was in charge of building the diversion facility. Screenshot from footage showing Israeli spy Eli Cohen placed in a coffin after his execution by hanging in Damascus, Syria on May 18, 1965. A few days prior to his execution, he penned this poignant letter to his wife and family, knowing that it would be his last. Even in death there is jealousy, that [others can] embrace a grave [in mourning] and we dont even have that.. "The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have had serious consequences for Cohen. tortor at risus erra adipiscing at in. They infiltrated into Syria and were able to purchase the watch and bring it home. In 2008, a former bureau chief of late Syrian leader Hafez Assad claimed that no one knew where Cohen was buried. I am not thirsty for water. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death penalty. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. [19] [3][4] Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. Already daily life is not [easy] and when things like this pop up, it just boggles the mind, and disturbs my soul, she added. A two-minute video posted on Syrian opposition. [citation needed], In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Israel's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy Egyptian relationships with western powers. Between 1961 and 1965 Cohen passed Syrian secrets to the Israeli government in what is remembered as one of the most daring and productive intelligence-gathering operations in Israeli history. That proved to be his downfall. Cohen was said to have been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. After completing further training, Cohen was sent in 1961 to Buenos Aires, where he posed as an expatriate Syrian businessman. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejected him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. What does your father do? As I steer the conversation back to her, I realize that although it has been 53 years since her husbands death, the years of sadness and pain have not dimmed her smile as she speaks about her late husband. I decided the watch would remain in the Mossad. For the information he gave me about the new tanks, planes and cannonsAcquired by the Syrians and the deployment of the army in the Golan, had a decisive influence on Israels victory in the northern arena in the Six-Day War, two years after his death. Born in Alexandria, Egypt to devout Zionist Jews, he eventually was forced to leave Egypt and settled in Israel in 1957. He was chosen to serve as a spy in Syria, and for this he was given a cover story: he was given the name Kamel Amin Tabet and a fictional identity of a businessman who lived in Argentina and decided to return to his homeland. . Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. Irit, and Shaoul, also to all my family, especially to my . Nadia Cohen, Eli Cohens widow, said she had never seen the footage and told Channel 2 watching the video was difficult and that it took me back [to those days].. Will Israels superspy finally rest in peace? Cohen made his desire to return to Syria well known to his new associates, and, when he moved to Damascus in 1962, his Syrian contacts helped him access the highest circles of power in Syria. The intelligence conveyed to Israel during that period was credited by then-prime minister Levi Eshkol with greatly assisting Israels victory during the Six Day War. During those months, a military coup took place in Syria and the Bath party came to power. Cohen was then informed that the Mossad had decided to recruit him, and underwent an intensive, six-month course at the Mossad training school. He wanted to come all his life. Later that year, he left university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brotherhood. Her home is impeccably clean and decorated in a modern style. Born on December 6, 1924 in Alexandria, Egypt, brother of seven, Elis parents immigrated to Alexandria from the city of Aleppo in Syria and made sure to maintain a traditional Jewish-religious character in their home, where he spoke Arabic and French. At these parties such highly-placed officials would "talk freely of their work and army plans. 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This is the secret of Eliahu Cohen, Israel's most famous spy. Because of his friendship with the activists in one of the cells, they asked him to rent a room for them in the city. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, however no link between Cohen and the accused could be found. Cohen studierte nach seinem Militrdienst an der Universitt Tel Aviv und an der Open University of Israel Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Where are you from? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Eli Cohen had sacrificed everything for his people and now the badly humiliated Syrians were about to take revenge. During Elis time in Egypt, prior to his emigration to Israel, he worked for the Mossad. Were you aware of this when you married him? Of course not, she says. In Israel, Eli Cohen's faced . Im 83 years old, she says with the air of someone who is seasoned. At the same time, the Syrians began to promote plans to diversify the waters of the Jordan River in order to disrupt the regular water supply to Israel and cause a major crisis. Eli informed Nadia that as part of his work he must bring spare parts for Israeli weapons. Itzik Cohen. Let there be a hero who will bring us quiet. The Spy, a six-part Netflix miniseries about Cohen's life, showcases the l egendary Mossad agent's relationship. And my dear Nadia, you are entitled to marry another man to be the father of our children, and on this subject you are completely free, I ask you not to grieve for what happened, but to look at the future, I send you last kisses. I want the inside story of a legendary tale and Im confident that Im about to hear it. Because of this, Cohen expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964 to pass intelligence and for the birth of his third child. 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Nadia said: He used to sit around the house for days and nights and decipher maps. Included in this was that the Syrians had constructed three lines of defense where the Israelis believed there was only one. Cohens espionage work took on even greater importance when a Bathist junta that included several of his associates from Argentina seized power in Syria in 1963. His fluency in Arabic, English, and French made him an attractive recruit for Israeli intelligence. After saying Kaddish to the memory of his father, his last wish was to write a farewell letter to his wife and children: Dear Nadia, my dear family, I am writing these last words to you in the hope that you will always remain united. Eli, who would feign intoxication, remained sober and listened carefully." Last year, at the 50th anniversary of his death, then-Mossad director Tamir Pardo said Israel has an obligation to bring the body of Cohen to Israel for burial. And of course, the Mossad bought it and carried out all of the tests to make sure it was the right watch. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. During which they corresponded and Nadia described how Sophie, their eldest daughter, was crawling, that her teeth had grown and that she was already saying mother and father. None of his acquaintances had any idea that he was spying on behalf of the state. Eli Cohen, publicly hanged in Al-Marjeh Square, Damascus on 18 May 1965, After a trial before a military tribunal, he was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death under 'martial law'. 1965Documentary film the execution Israeli spy Eli Cohen in 1965, Posted by Syrian art treasures , on Saturday, September 10, 2016, Cohen said she hoped someone would stand up and tell us where Eli is buried, and bring him back. We dont know where, in what place, in what country. Foi vrias vezes interrogado e torturado. In January 1965 Syrian counterintelligence identified his radio signal and apprehended him in the act of sending a transmission. Cohen had returned to Israel in late December 1964 to be there for the birth of his son and tried to convince his bosses to let him remain. Israels judicial overhaul: What is the coalition planning and where does it stand? The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) made note of where the trees were and their artillery pinpointed them in the 1967 war. [4][6], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. He was recruited by Mossad in 1961 and using a cover identity of a Syrian businessman by the name of Kamal Amin Taabet, he furnished the Israelis with a wealth of incredible intelligence, befriending some of the top Syrian government and military leaders. His most famous achievement was when he toured the Golan Heights, and collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! I decided the watch would remain in the Mossad. From this trip to me came a completely different man, Nadia said, with a mustache, he gained weight, he came back with a very high self-confidence and I was Simcha I saw that he loved what he was doing, that he was exhausting his abilities. I didnt know about his trip to Argentinathats where he learned about Syrian culture and began to blend in with the Syrian community. The memorial consists of a 19,000-square-meter site . 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. 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[12] After Hafiz became Prime Minister, Cohen may even have been considered for the position of Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense,[13] although Hafiz's secretary has denied that this was the case. . Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, Irit Cohen: Siblings: Maurice Cohen, Abraham Cohen: Star Sign: Sagittarius # Fact; 1: Father of Kaipu Cohen: Actor . I walk under an archway and up the stairs leading to a white stucco home whose door is opened by Mrs. Nadia Cohen, the elderly widow of Eli Cohen. Estudiante de Mercadeo Internacional y Publicidad con inters de trabajar en las reas de estrategia de mercadeo, consumer insights y rea comercial. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in military intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. They had three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai,[5] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam. For two weeks he was put under surveillance, and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Eli Cohen, also called Kamal Amin Thaabet, Egyptian-born Israeli spy who infiltrated the highest ranks of the Syrian military and government by posing as a Syrian businessman. click the link in that email to complete your registration. Apparently, the woman that had the watch after Cohens arrest and execution wanted to sell it. We havent touched it yet, its in a frame at the lobby outside the Mossad directors office., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mossad for an operation whose sole purpose, he said, was to bring back to Israel a memory of a great fighter who contributed greatly to the State of Israel.. Eli Cohen, Our Man in Damascus - Jewish Mag Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic but hopes it will help Those included the Syrian military attach, Amin al-Hafez, who would later serve as president of Syria. Mossad Director Yossi Cohen said, We remember Eli Cohen and do not forget. To this day, the Syrians refuse to discuss the return of a suspectHis death. The judge accused him of treason, for the entire Syrian leadership regarded him as an Arab. diam, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. Eli Cohen - Viquipdia, l'enciclopdia lliure He had seventeen lovers in Syria, all dazzling beauties with a fair degree of family power. . 'How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document?' In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families left Egypt. Saif calmly replied, 'There's nothing to worry about. , . Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir lead a campaign, demanding the international community to force Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging Cohen. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family.