When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. Cohen accepted the calling. He had three brothers. 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. To no avail. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. Sacha Baron Cohen-led limited series "The Spy" which comes out today on Netflix tells the true story of how famed Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen went undercover in 1960s Syria. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. Irit does not know her father. Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. 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. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. I give you my blessing. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. 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. Double Agent's Widow Offers New Take on Eli Cohen Affair your father and uncle opened a textile store, but it went bankrupt your father died in 1956 and six months later your mother died too. tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[25] but the Syrians refused. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. The film featured John Shea as Eli. Cohen later. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. 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. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. But he refused). However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. Diplomats, prime ministers, parliamentarians, and Pope Paul VI tried to intercede. 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. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. No film or video was previously known to exist of the execution. The text messages between Khalid and the NZSIS. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: Netflix drama 'raises my blood pressure' After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. Eli's handlers were continually persuading him to return. By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Incorrect password. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. 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). He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. "My darling Nadia, and my dear family,I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever.I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. It, however, did not change the situation. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. The Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, plans to name one of the buildings in its compound after Eli Cohen - its spy in Syria who was caught in Damascus, tried, convicted and executed 40 years ago. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. 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. You're not alone. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. The Syrian officer readily agreed and Eli immediately passed the information onto Israel. So now we have a request. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. 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. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). Eli Cohen's son, Shaul, was only 2 weeks old when he last saw his father. [24], Following the 1963 Syrian coup d'tat, newly appointed Syrian Intelligence Colonel Ahmed Suidani disliked Cohen and did not trust figures close to the Second Syrian Republic. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. The Syrians have consistently refused to do so. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. [5], His parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, but he remained to finish a degree in electronics and coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities. In 'The Spy,' Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Serious : NPR The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Antoni Porowski Talks New Cookbook, Recipes and Tradition in Cooking, Netflix's 'The Spy': Eli Cohen's Remains Still a Mystery, How to Watch True Crime Series 'Unbelievable' on Netflix. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. If indeed Biton was a double agent - and Israeli intelligence prides itself on the quality of his work - then it is difficult to believe that he exposed Cohen. I give you my blessing. He died in 2009. 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. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. 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.. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. [13][14] In Buenos Aires he moved among the Arab community, letting it be known he had large amounts of money to put at the disposal of the Syrian Ba'ath Party. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. In November that year, Nadia, wrote to Syrian politician and former president of Syria (19712000) Hafez al-Assad, asking him to forgive Eli and requesting him to hand over her husbands remains. Nadia Cohen, widow of executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen, speaks to Channel 2 on September 20, 2016 after Syrian opposition forces release new video showing moments after he was hanged in. He reminded me of my father sometimes, she added. Syrian security services led by Suidani broke into Cohen's apartment on 24 January and caught him in the middle of a transmission to Israel. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. Decades after the Eli Cohen affair there are still many questions, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy (from the archive). Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. 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. 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. 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. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. But in 1965, he was unmasked. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. He was taught high-speed evasive driving techniques, Weapons proficiency (especially with a wide variety of small arms), topography, map reading, sabotage, and, most importantly, radio transmissions and cryptography. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. Kamal Amin Tabet hosted a glamorous party in Damascus, several ministers, a large number of general and colonel, top leaders of the Baath party, businessmen. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. The previous year, which marked Elis 50th death anniversary, Nadia had addressed a memorial dedicated to him. 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. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. He was promised support in any venture he might wish to undertake, and the generous sums of cash which he appeared to possess appealed to the unscrupulous who thought he could provide grease to their financial ambitions, as well as patriotic Syrians who hoped for an infusion of foreign capital into the Syrian state.

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