But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. 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. Qudsi was ousted from power as a result of the March 8 coup, but Hafiz did not take power until months later. . 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. 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.
"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." From the creation of Israel through, the present day, Syria has been one, if not the most, implacable of Israels enemies. "Sophie's. 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.
'Disturbing' footage emerges from famed Israeli spy's execution in As Intelligence Chief Meir Amit said, Eli succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But even after four decades, there are still many questions related to the Eli Cohen affair, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. (Haim Zach/GPO). Eli Cohen was the man for the job. No film or video was previously known to exist of the execution. "The moment that they informed me [of the watch's recovery] my mouth went dry and I got the chills," Nadia told Israeli TV. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. [26], Monthir Maosily, the former bureau chief of Hafez Al-Assad, claimed in August 2008 that the Syrians had buried him three times to stop the remains from being taken back to Israel via a special operation. Since Eli did not have a steady job back then, even though he worked as an accountant, he had to rely more on Nadia to help support the family and their marriage. From 1948 until 1967, Syria firing mortar shells from the Syrian occupied Golan Heights into the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee below. For his loyalties, Hafiz grooms Thaabet to be deputy defense minister in his government. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? He soon established himself in the social and cultural life of the Syrian community of Buenos Aires and was known as a wealthy businessman who was generous, tipped well, and loved the night life. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. 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. Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. After Hafez became Prime Minister, Eli was even considered to be named the Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense. one after the other 69 people were arrested. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. 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. [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. Eli was brutally tortured and interrogated before he was publicly hanged on May 18, 1965, at the Marjeh Square in Damascus. 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. 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. . Syria brought hydraulic engineers and diversion equipment to actualize the scheme. The Spy is streaming globally on Netflix. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant Zaher Al-Din took Eli to the El Hama military camp, where large quantities of new weapons had been stored. Were they not interested? Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. He was sentenced to death. 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. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. 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. soon Israel's tanks and cannon riposted with heavy fire, and minutes later mirage pounded the Syrian position and blasted the cannon of Syria that was dug. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. In 2019, Netflix created the seriesThe SpystarringSacha Baron Cohen to tell his story. 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. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. You're not alone. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. Israeli spy who was captured and executed in Syria, that enabled them to destroy the equipment prepared for the task, "Israel's Secret Operation to Recover the Watch of a Legendary Spy", "Rumors fly that body of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen was found", "Eli Cohen, notre agent "top secret" Damas", "Mossad's master of deception: the astounding true story of Israeli super-spy Eli Cohen", Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: Netflix drama 'raises my blood pressure', "Unending agony for legendary spy Eli Cohen and his widow", "Israel's secret war against Hitler's scientists", "The History of Elie Cohen: An Egyptian Jew who became Israel's greatest spy", "Will Israel's superspy finally rest in peace? Because of that, perhaps he just tired of the whole charade. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. 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. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. 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. 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. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. Cohen went undercover in Syria as Kamel Amin Thaabet in the early 1960s, aligned himself with key military and government personnel and fed intel back to Israel. 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. 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]. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. She smiles. Once Cohen had established his background, he was inserted into the "target country," Syria, and operated with great success for four years until his capture. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . In January 1965, Syrian government officials announced that Eli is an Israeli spy. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. [4] His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam.
Nadia Cohen - Life Story of Widow of Israeli Spy Eli Cohen - Facts Ninja ", "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. If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. Nadia, however, never remarried. He took on the name Kamel Amin Thaabet and went to live in Argentina for some time to build a name for himself in the Syrian expat community. But in 2018, Cohens watch was retrieved in a secret Mossad scheme. After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. 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. [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. 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. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Elis larger-than-life persona has attracted many filmmakers, who have then used his story for their projects.