The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. 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. [32], John Shea played Cohen in the television film The Impossible Spy (1987),[33] and Sacha Baron Cohen played him in the Netflix miniseries The Spy (2019). World leaders, wealthy individuals, the Israeli government, the pope, and others all intervened on his behalf. 'Disturbing' footage emerges from famed Israeli spy's execution in That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. On May 15, 1965, Eli wrote a final letter to Nadia, requesting her not to mourn his death and stating that she should hold her head high, as her husband had done nothing wrong. . Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . He ultimately complied. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Thats when he met Nadia Majald, an Iraqi-born Jewish woman who lived near his brother and his wife. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. Recruitment into the Mossad. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. Some attributed this to a sense of cockiness (despite the fears he had expressed in November 1964), due to the ability and ease he had moved about in the highest echelons of Syrian power. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. 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. "Their ages range from four and a half to 32." "You must be very proud," I offer. 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. As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. [7] He took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 1950s, although the Egyptian government could never prove his involvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews out of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility in Egypt. The True Story Behind The Spy on Netflix | Time He was tortured, but he wouldnt give away any incriminating information about Israel. Cohen was born in 1924 in Alexandria, Egypt to a devout Mizrahi Jewish and Zionist family. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. 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. had 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. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. I give you my blessing. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. In February 1961 one man handed him an Israeli passport in his real name and a plane ticket to Zurich.on his arrival, Eli was met by a white-haired man who gave him a passport from another name, that passport carried an entry visa to chile and a transit visa to Argentina. [8], Israel's secret police recruited a sabotage unit of Jewish Egyptian citizens in 1955 which attempted to undermine Egypt's relationships with western powers in the "Lavon Affair". 4 Min Read. Born Country:- Iraq Wife/Husband/Ex:- Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) Children:- Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Nadia Cohen is the widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who spied in Syria by posing as a wealthy merchant during the early 1960s before being caught and hanged to death publicly. On January 25, 2000, Nadia presented a picture of a new postage stamp with Elis face, to Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, honoring her husband. The text messages between Khalid and the NZSIS. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. 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. one after the other 69 people were arrested. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. Israel has for decades worked to retrieve his remains. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. 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. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. I don't want to go to my death longing for my Eli to rest in the soil of the land that he loved and for which he gave his life. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. (Haim Zach/GPO). They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. She had no idea about Elis secret mission and thus did not see the threats and risks involved. On April 15, 2019, a few Israeli news agencies published unconfirmed reports of Eli's remains being recovered in Syria and stated that the remains were with a Russian delegation. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. He says the spies wanted him to try and talk to his father's close friends or provide insight. By Lianne Back. 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. He died in 2009. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. The Syrian project to divert water from the headwaters of the Jordan away from Israel was mentioned already in the above introduction. Cohen expressed fear of discovery to the Mossad on his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964, and he stated that he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. Eli, after all, was born in an Arab country, had oriental features, was known to be selfless and fearless in pursuit of a cause, and had knowledge of Arabic, English, and French. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: 'When he was caught, something died 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. Please try again or choose an option below. In a February 2006 interview with Jewish Magazine, Maurice Cohen said that he informed his brother that he knew he was "our man in Damascus" in an intriguing way, rather than outright confronting him as seen in The Spy. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic but hopes it will help They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. He worked as an accountant and translator. 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. in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. In early 1964, Eli was able to radio Tel Aviv that the channel was being dug along the entire length of the Syrian Heights to receive the diverted flow of the Baniyas River - one of the Jordans major sources - and empty into Jordanian territory. Eli carefully spelled out all the details of the project and passed them on to Israeli Intelligence. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. 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. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. Cohen accepted the calling. Fiyaz Mughal,Eli Cohens body must be returned to Israel, The JC, (Undated). The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. Eli Cohen | My Jewish Learning At the end of 1961, Syria dissolved its union with Egypt, which had lasted a mere three years. The drunk guests would often end up blabbing about their work to Cohen, who was sober but would pretend to be intoxicated. 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). 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. Scheffeldt said that her husband never revealed his true identity, and she learned of it only after a television series aired in Egypt that described him as a national hero. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. 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. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. 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.". At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. He worked as an accountant. One of his friends found a new job as an accountant, month later he Marty with Nadia, a nurse of Iraqi origin. These skills were instrumental in ensuring the safety and survival of one Kamal Amin Taabet: Eli Cohens new identity. click the link in that email to complete your registration. Cohen's widow, Nadia, said that following the report she appealed directly to Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, demanding answers as to why the deal did not go through. they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success. Last Friday marked the 53rd anniversary of the execution of Eli Cohen, the Egyptian-born Israeli spy who burrowed his way so deep into the Syrian state apparatus he nearly came to head it. Thanks". 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. "I have passed your response to our partners and am waiting for a reply," said the agent. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. Others have attributed the carelessness to an almost suicidal tendency perhaps, it was later surmised, he had been in the undercover world too long, but knew he couldnt get out of it. From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. 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. Eli was born Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, on December 26, 1924, in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, into a staunch Jewish and Zionist family. 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. (Israel GPO), President Reuven Rivlin and Nadia Cohen, at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Mossad super spy Eli Cohen, May 18, 2015. Again, I. 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. 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 Syrias Jewish community, in particular.. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. 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 was born and raised in Egypt and was expelled to Israel in 1956. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. Eli Cohenarrived in Buenos Aires and checked into a hotel .a local teacher would get in touch with him and teach him the Spanish language. Were they not interested? Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. "I was cooperating with the New Zealand Secret Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Mossad, in order to help find the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen," he said. It, however, did not change the situation. 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. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[25] but the Syrians refused. The alleged son says the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) contacted him two years ago believing he has clues to the secret location, which his father had apparently taken to the grave. It was approved by, The head of the presidency council on 17/5/1965, Top 10 Weakest Militaries in the World | The Bahamas, Central African Republic, The Gambia,Barbados, Somalia, Luxembourg military power, MiG-29 vs. Su-27: The Soviet Union's Two Top Fighters Went Head to Head in an East African Air War, Ravindra Kaushik RAW Agent ( Black Tiger) Wife, son, Death reason, | Facts about Ravindra Kaushik | Ravindra Kaushik Movie, Israel's Iron Dome Vs S-400 Russian Comparison, Price, Success Rate | Iron Dome vs S400 which is better, Top amazing facts about RAW and Agent : History, Foundation, Joining , Department of RAW, Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his wife and Children | Eli Cohen death writing translation | george seif syria. 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. Nadia Cohen - Life Story of Widow of Israeli Spy Eli Cohen - Facts Ninja 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. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. Today, one can see the former Syrian bunkers that remain on the Golan Heights from 1967 (as well as the tanks from 1973). tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. Eli Cohen - Wikipedia Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. 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.. Unending Agony for Legendary Spy Eli Cohen and His Widow "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. Eli expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last visit to Israel in November 1964. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. 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. According to Maurice Cohen, this really happened. [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. Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. 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. You're not alone. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. From the creation of Israel through, the present day, Syria has been one, if not the most, implacable of Israels enemies. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. Nadia still holds a grudge against the 'Mossad' handlers who had sent Eli to Syria, an action that had taken him away from her, forever. In 1960, the national intelligence agency of Israel, 'Mossad,' approached Eli for a classified mission in Syria. If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. But his knowledge of the Arab language and Arab culture, as well as prior work in espionage in Egypt, made him a good candidate for the Mossad. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. Nadia, however, never remarried. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. I think as long as Bashar Assad is in power I dont see the word progress,' she said, referring to Syrias dictator. Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. After some months, Abdel Latif Hassan introduces Eli to General Amin El-Hafez, the military attache at the embassy. For four years, Cohen posed as a Syrian textile businessman named Kamal Amin Thabet, first in Argentina and later in Damascus. The agency concluded that Cohen had a high IQ, great bravery, a phenomenal memory, and the ability to keep a secret; but the tests also showed that in spite of his modest appearance, he has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a lot of internal tension. Cohen, the results indicated, does not always evaluate danger correctly, and is liable to assume risks beyond those which are necessary.. Eli Cohen, the spy who was larger than life - The Jerusalem Post But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. On the day of his execution, his last wish to see a rabbi was respected by the prison authorities, and Nissim Indibo, the elderly Chief Rabbi of Syria, accompanied him in the truck. According to Scheffeldt, Cohen and al-Gamal were arrested together in 1954 and released shortly after. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. 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. Cohen later. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Eli Cohen - Jewish Virtual Library But in 2018, Cohens watch was retrieved in a secret Mossad scheme. But the intelligence officers convinced him to go back one last time. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. Scheffeldt, 63, is the widow of Rifa'at al-Gamal, an Egyptian spy who reportedly operated in Israel for a number of years. The film featured John Shea as Eli. [16][17] Mossad had carefully planned the tactics that he was to use in building relationships with high-ranking Syrian politicians, military officials, influential public figures, and the diplomatic community. The six-part drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen has gripped viewers and critics alike with its pulse-racing tale of espionage and a deceptively good dramatic performance by Sacha Baron Cohen, better known for his comedy work, as the Mossad agent. "It works with a range of international intelligence agencies,'' the NZSIS said in response. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. In the footsteps of a spy: Exploring the Golan's Eli Cohen Trail He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. It says this "does not imply any special relationship or endorsement". Sign in to stop seeing this, Sara Netanyahu accosted by protesters at Tel Aviv hair salon, extricated by police, Brides joy turns to sorrow after Elan Ganeles killed driving to her wedding, Hiker discovers 2,500-year-old ancient receipt from reign of Purim kings father, Netanyahu compares Tel Aviv protesters to settlers who set fire to Huwara. He was sentenced to death. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. 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. Eli Cohen, at 29, offered his services to the Israeli Intelligence Services but was rebuked twice. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. In the 1960s, Israel developed a national water carrier which diverted water from the Kinneret into a pipeline that irrigated much of the country and especially Israels arid south. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. He even trained at the same facility that had served as home to his doomed Susannah compatriots in 1953. He returned to Egypt in 1956 but was suspected immediately and was placed under surveillance. It was hard to see the distance from the truth in some parts of the series, Sophie Ben-Dor said in an interview with Channel 12 news.
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