[22], It is claimed that the intelligence that Cohen gathered before his arrest was an important factor in Israel's success in the Six-Day War,[23] although some intelligence experts have argued that the information he provided about the Golan Heights fortifications was also readily available from ground and aerial reconnaissance. Eli Cohen - Wikipedia If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. Nadia believed it and went to see him off at the airport in 1961. Eli Cohen - Jewish Virtual Library The new Ba'ath government initially installed Lu'ay al-Atassi as president in March 1963. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . "Suddenly something changed there toward us. [9], Cohen continued his social life as he had in Argentina, spending time in cafes listening to political gossip. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to Israel in 1957. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. The Ba'athist coup and Eli Cohen's role. 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. [19] He also learned of a secret plan to create three successive lines of bunkers and mortars; the Israel Defense Forces would otherwise have expected to encounter only a single line. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. At first, he refused. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. He continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. I give you my blessing. According to his fictional biography, in 1948 the family moved to Argentina, where they opened a successful textile business. Kamal Amin Taabets (Eli Cohen) return to Syria would ostensibly be the fulfillment of a lifelong patriotic dream. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". Even after the blown operation led to the demise of the Operation Susannah spies, Eli Cohen left Egypt for Israel to undergo intensive espionage training in the summer of 1955. A number were only released 14 years later, after the 1967 War. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. Eli himself was not above the spicier part of a spys life either. What is perhaps most amazing about Eli Cohen is that he was genuinely liked even loved by so many of the top Syrian leaders. [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". Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. In January 1965, Syrian security officers broke into Elis apartment while he was in the middle of his escape to Israel. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. 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. In 1949, his parents and three brothers moved to Israel while Eli remained in Egypt to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities there. In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. This material may not be republished without the permission of the copyright owner. When the Golan was captured in 1967, at almost the end of the Six-Day War, settlers in the north could finally feel relieved. The spy who never came home - The Jewish Chronicle One of the ministrys directors entered the room unannounced. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. 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. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. He was caught and sentenced to death. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. 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. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. Nadia and 'Mossad' were on bad terms until Meir Dagan was made the agencys chief. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. But an interview published in the Cairo Times yesterday with the German-born Weltrude Scheffeldt-Biton suggests that Egyptian intelligence played the most important role in unmasking Cohen. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. 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. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. It also provides 30% of Israels water sources. The previous year, which marked Elis 50th death anniversary, Nadia had addressed a memorial dedicated to him. If you've already watched all of The Spy and are curious to know more about Cohen, then these accounts of the real-life Cohen might make for curious reading. 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. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. Eli seemed to have completed the final stage in establishing his network. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. The Spy's Widow // After many decades, Nadia Cohen is keeping the The Syrians have consistently refused to do so. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. 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. 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. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. His fathers name was Amin Taabet, and his mothers Saadia Ibrahim. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. The leading figure in the break-in was the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani Elis nemesis. While Eli was not directly involved with the Operation Susannah spies, he was involved with pro-Israel activity, and he was brutally questioned by Egypts Intelligence Services. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, Cohen publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square, The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 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 real life, the closeness between Hafiz and Cohen has been disputed by the former president of Syria, who claimed in a 2001 interview with Al Jazeera that they couldn't have met in Buenos Aires because Hafiz was in Moscow until 1962, by which time Cohen had gone undercover as Thaabet in Damascus. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. 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. Cohen was convicted of espionage. [15], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: ). Irit does not know her father. In the final episode of The Spy, Cohen's brother Maurice, a Mossad analyst, confronts him after discovering he is the secret Agent 88 in Damascus. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. 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. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. In the 1970s, they left Israel for Germany and in 1982, al-Gamal, alias Jacques Biton, died of an illness. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. 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. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. He soon became accepted, well-liked, and respected, and made contacts with politicians, diplomats and military officials working out of the Syrian Embassy. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. 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. 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.. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. His training was extensive and exhaustive. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. Eli's handlers were continually persuading him to return. 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. 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. He was sentenced to death. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. their chief noticed that their decision taken by the government was broadcast to Israel. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. [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. He did not object, in fact, to the idea of a ladies man reputation. Eli's wife Nadia, played by Hadar Ratzon Rotem, has to deal with raising two children without her husband, who disappears for up to a year at a time without being allowed to tell her what he's actually doing or even where he is. The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. But what happened next apparently deviates from the way it appears in the show. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. The Story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli Superspy Who Almost Became Syria's The Baath party was rising to power and Eli Cohen wanted to be there when it took power. In a display of generosity, the tabet contributed some money to build a public kitchen for the poor of Damascus. Double Agent's Widow Offers New Take on Eli Cohen Affair After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. Cohen later. Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. 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. 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. He then underwent a show trial, like the Operation Susannah spies had in Egypt 12 years before., Like them, his verdict was predetermined. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Abdel Latif Hassan immediately wrote four letters one to his brother-in-law, two to friends in Beirut, and fourth to his son in Damascus. 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. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. It hurt. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Already a member? 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 hierarchy and became the chief adviser to the country's defense minister. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. Israel has for decades worked to retrieve his remains. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? From 1948 until 1967, Syria firing mortar shells from the Syrian occupied Golan Heights into the Jewish settlements of the Upper Galilee below. 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. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. It, however, did not change the situation. They were caught spying for Israel in 1953 and some of them were hanged. Please try again or choose an option below. The border with Syria was heating up as well. 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. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. 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. 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 sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. 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. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. From 1961 to 1965, Eli transmitted crucial intelligence data, including that of the Golan Heights, to the Israeli army. Eli Cohen | My Jewish Learning Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. Sophia Cohen the 26-year-old daughter of billionaire hedge funder and Mets owner Steve Cohen is no longer engaged to her financier boyfriend Jason Levine, Page Six has confirmed. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. 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.