Eli Cohen is a Hero in Israel: Multiple streets and parks in the Golan are named after his name. In 2006, after the death of Elis brother Maurice, she replaced him as the leader of a campaign to return his remains to Israel. Struggling to find a job after being was fired from the store, he was recruited by the Mossad to serve as a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. August, 1959. Children Shai Cohen, Irit Cohen, Sophie Cohen Siblings Maurice Cohen, . The trial of Eli Cohen (left), Damascus, 1965 - AFP. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. He was sentenced to death. (February 21, 2021 / Israel Hayom) Russia's English-language state television channel RT has aired what it claims to be previously unseen footage of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Damascus. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. Language. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. 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? 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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. Between 1961 and 1965 Cohen passed Syrian secrets to the Israeli government in what is remembered as one of the most . Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Thus, he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. A supporter of the Aliyah, Eli had previously assisted the Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, when he was in Egypt. 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. Rare footage of Israeli spy Eli Cohen's execution in Damascus was handed to Israel by Syrian rebel forces. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response. 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. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. He is best known for his espionage work in 19611965 in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the political and mil. (photo credit: Courtesy) Advertisement. However, running a double agent is considered to be one of the most complex missions in intelligence work. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. [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. National Day of Hate: How should we respond? [7], In January 1965, Syrian officials, who used Soviet-made tracking equipment and were assisted by Soviet experts, increased their efforts to find a high-level spy. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. [7], Following state-sponsored anti-Semitic attacks on its Jewish communities, many of them fled or were expelled, and Cohen was forced to leave the country in December 1956. 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. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. A noose was placed around his neck by a high-ranking Syrian government official who read the charges against Eli, who stood silently looking frightened. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. 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. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. Also known as. You're not alone. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. Syrian writers and historians pointed to ten historical errors committed in "The Spy": 1- President Amin al-Hafez: The series showed that he met and struck a friendship with Cohen when he served as Syria's military attache in Argentina. According to al-Gamal's version, he saw a photograph in an Arab newspaper at a newspaper stand in Frankfurt's train station that showed Amin Kamel Thabet touring fortifications on the Golan Heights with Syrian officers. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. 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. Elie Cohen Eli Wallach Yacov Sasson Gabay General Haled (as Sason Gabay) Michal Bat-Adam Nadia Cohen Rami Danon Avram Chaim Jeraffi Salloum (as Haim Girafi) Jacques Cohen Assan (as Jack Cohen) Anat Barzilai Galela (as Anat Barzilay) Yossi Keinan Nassim (as Yossi Kenan) Yehudit Millo Madame Massim (as Judith Millo) Victor Kamar Major Massim Yedith Ahronoth report. Call Eli Cohen Agency Inc. at (718) 336-1700 or visit us at 2003 Coney Island Ave. We will be happy to work with you to make sure your family's financial security is always protected. 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 arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. [5] He studied at Cairo Farouk University. 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. 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. Cohen later. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. 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. Israeli spy (1924-1965) Kamel Amin Thaabet. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. Germany Sending 88 Leopard 1s to Ukraine: Can Obsolete 1960s Tanks Make a Difference? It's a non-fiction account of an Israeli spy. Calling Cohen "our brother, a hero of Israel," President Reuven Rivlin said Monday, "Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel. edit. But his knowledge of. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. (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. Wawaweewa. [28] The press announced on 5 July 2018 that Cohen's wristwatch had been retrieved from Syria. Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs | . In a daring operation, Israel's espionage agency Mossad has claimed to have recovered the watch of Eli Cohen, more than 50 years after the legendry spy was caught and publicly hanged in Syria. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. 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. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. As Israel implodes, does nobody in Netanyahus Likud have the guts to defy him? Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. Eli was arrested, interrogated, and tortured. The famous Egyptian-born Israeli spy, who went on to develop close ties with the top military and government leadership of Syria in the. On his last visit, in 1964, he told intelligence officers he wanted to come in from the cold because he was concerned a new Syrian intelligence commander did not like him. , , + 4, . Eliyahu BenShaul Cohen (Hebrew , Arabic 26 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Israeli spy. I give you my blessing. The Gift of Bravery: The Story of Eli CohenOur Hero and Spy. Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. 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. This article was originally published in May 2005 and republished to coincide with the release of "The Spy" - a Netflix series about Eli Cohen's life. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. Eli and Nadia Cohen under the chuppah. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Military Stories site will provide you the latest News related to military. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. 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. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. For six years, they lived in maabara, an absorption camp for new immigrants. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. They knew of his. 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. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. He was convicted in a trial without a defense and sentenced to death. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Israeli Hebrew Author Sami Michael Is Her Brother. #4 - In a recent interview, Eli Cohen's daughter, Sophie Ben Dor, pointed out multiple differences between the truth behind her father's life and the story told in the show. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. they carry out several bombings in Cairo and Alexandria, targeting libraries and cultural centers, cinemas, post offices. A two-minute . One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. In March 1963, General Hafez, Eli's friend was appointed minister of defense in salah Al-Birat's cabinet. 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. Eli Cohenhad 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. 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. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anythingDo what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. The Impossible Spy depicts Eli sacrificing normal precautions to warn Israel about an attack against an Israeli kibbutz that night. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. Out of fear of being caught, Eli expressed his wish to visit Israel in November 1964, to pass on information and also witness the birth of his third child. Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. Feb 9, 2022. Who is Brigitte Nielsens Husband Mattia Dessi? Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. Eli Cohen is trying to defuse the tensions between blacks and Orthodox Jews in a notoriously contentious Brooklyn community. 1. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. "I commend the fighters of the Mossad for the determined and courageous . Israeli spy Eli Cohen's widow, Nadia Cohen said that she turned to Mossad head Yossi Cohen to find out why the Mossad reportedly refused to pay a million dollars to locate her late husband's remains. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. [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). 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 national turmoil over the PMs judicial overhaul is now being exacerbated by surging Palestinian terrorism and settler extremism. 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