"The Spy" depicts Egyptian-born Cohen - played by Sacha Baron Cohen - as an ambitious, Arabic-speaking immigrant to Israel who is recruited by Mossad and, overcoming his fears and the strains on his family, infiltrates the Damascus high command by posing as a rich scion of the Syrian diaspora. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. Cohen later. Intelligence created a completely new identity for him. He also held parties at his home, which turned into orgies for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others, who used Elis apartment for assignations with various women, including Defense Ministry secretaries, airline hostesses, and Syrian singing stars. At these parties such highly-placed officials would talk freely of their work and army plans. Incorrect password. 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. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. 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. 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. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). 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. The Arabs would have none of it and decided to divert the sources of the Jordan River which originated in Arab-held territory. In this way, the Arabs hoped to deprive Israel of the waters she would need for her national growth. ", "Former Assad aide: Eli Cohen's burial site unknown],mm", "New footage emerges of Eli Cohen on the gallows", "Mossad Brings Home Watch of Israeli Spy Executed in Syria; Netanyahu Hails 'Brave' Op", "Watch of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen recovered by Mossad", "The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy", "Will Assad's Ouster Free Body of Israel Spy? The condom was used as a timing tool for mixed chemicals and produce a minor burst of fire. when you were three, your family left Lebanon and moved to Egypt Alexandria. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. 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. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. (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. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World 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. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. You're not alone. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. He continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic but hopes it will help 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. At the age of 41, Cohen was hanged in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Eli Cohen was first sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to establish his cover as a Syrian emigre. ", "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 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. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Born Country: Egypt Spies Israeli Men Died on: May 18, 1965 place of death: Al Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria Notable Alumni: Cairo Farouk University Cause of Death: Executed By Hanging City: Alexandria, Egypt More Facts Recommended Lists: Israeli Celebrities Male Spies Israeli Spies Capricorn Men 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 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. She was told he would be completely safe, and she believed that until his capture in 1965. 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. One of his friends found a new job as an accountant, month later he Marty with Nadia, a nurse of Iraqi origin. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. The Golan Heights defenses were top-secret and closed only to top military staff. 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. 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. The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. Cohen was convicted of espionage. [12][16], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. They had three children, Sophie, Irit, and Shai. "Sophie's. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. 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. Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. 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. The Spy's Widow // After many decades, Nadia Cohen is keeping the 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. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. Employment was not always steady, and he soon had to rely more on Nadia to help support their marriage, which would quickly lead to children. In January 1947, he was enlisted in the Egyptian army as an alternative to paying the mandatory sum that all young Jews had to pay. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. Fortunately, several were easy to spot, for they . Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. love of country, sacrifice and about his life and my life, my children." . It also provides 30% of Israels water sources. 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. [8] His most famous achievement was the tour of the Golan Heights in which he collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. Eli Cohen Wife, Children | Israeli Spy biography | Last Letter to his [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. Source:The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, (c) 1992-2007. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. 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. 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. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. But as with all fictional works that derive from real-life events, The Spy, perhaps for reasons ranging from time constraints to story relevance, omits some points in Cohen's story. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. [2], A 2018 article published in Newsweek by Ronen Bergman excerpted from Bergman's book Rise and Kill First, says that Eli Cohen located Alois Brunner, a Nazi scientist suspected of living in Syria, and relayed the information to an Israel intelligence unit that later sent letter bombs to Brunner. "It was all for good intentions. Military Stories site will provide you the latest News related to military. His training was extensive and exhaustive. [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". He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. This version contradicts that of Israel's secret service. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Due to this information, the Israeli Air Force was able to obliterate the Syrian plans for the diversion scheme by shelling and bombing the bulldozers and other equipment used for the scheme in early 1964. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report.
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