Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. Kamal Amin Taabet (also called Tabas in some sources) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Syrian Muslim parents. Hes a trusted friend.. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. 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 show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. He was taught high-speed evasive driving techniques, Weapons proficiency (especially with a wide variety of small arms), topography, map reading, sabotage, and, most importantly, radio transmissions and cryptography. Eli was brutally tortured and interrogated before he was publicly hanged on May 18, 1965, at the Marjeh Square in Damascus. 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 Syrian project to divert water from the headwaters of the Jordan away from Israel was mentioned already in the above introduction. In addition, the commander of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani trusted no one and disliked Eli. 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. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? . Its unfamiliar to me, this form of expression in a global television series. 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. He lasted until just July that year when he resigned in protest of the Ba'ath military committee executing dissenting rivals who tried to stage a coup for power. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". 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. Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. 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. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. 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. Cohens contacts, nurtured through a string of lavish dinner parties, social occasions, and friendships with those in high places, led to invitations to visit Damascus and to set up a business venture there. He worked as an accountant and translator. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. 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. Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen) was the kind of guy to leave his wife spontaneous love letters throughout the house. 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. [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. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. The Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, plans to name one of the buildings in its compound after Eli Cohen - its spy in Syria who was caught in Damascus, tried, convicted and executed 40 years ago. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. 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? tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. Since then, Nadia has always counted on him. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. 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. "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. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!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 motherPlease pray for my soul. The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have serious consequences for the Israeli agents. Israeli intelligence was particularly excited about Cohen . Syrian counterintelligence eventually uncovered the spy conspiracy and convicted Cohen under pre-war martial law, sentencing him to death and hanging him publicly in 1965. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. In December 1956, the Jewish Agency assisted Eli to deport to Israel in a vessel. She has pleaded for years and is still waiting to receive Eli's body. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. 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. Eli did go back to Syria, but his behavior changed. 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). 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. 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. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. Over the years, her relationship with the Mossad and that of her children, Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg and Shai Cohen, unraveled. He was hanged on May 18, 1965. The information he had been providing them for years was too good to forego. Revealed: The Plan to Expand the Israeli Knesset by More Than Double, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Speaking to Cohen's brother, and to Israeli and Syrian intelligence experts, Sputnik has pieced together a new look at the superspy's incredible life story. In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. 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. He was caught and sentenced to death. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. I want him, here and now, because I've reached the age that I deserve tranquillity. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. "This cooperation brings significant benefits to New Zealand's national security, we help them (Mossad), and they help us," they added. in Israel, he found the job of translating weekly and monthly magazines for a man after a few months he was fired. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. According to the report, Mossad agents were on their way to Auckland, with one text saying: "Wait for our partners to arrive before making a decision.". But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. 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. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response. 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. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. He had an input into and an impact on Syrian national defense and was privy to almost all their secrets. The three major tributaries of the upper Jordan River the Dan, the Baniyas, and the Hatzbani all originate in the Golan. 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 four years, Cohen posed as a Syrian textile businessman named Kamal Amin Thabet, first in Argentina and later in Damascus. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. [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". Instead, he joined the Egyptian merchant marine and was involved in a number of scams, which resulted in his arrest by the Egyptian secret service in 1952. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. click the link in that email to complete your registration. He was promised support in any venture he might wish to undertake, and the generous sums of cash which he appeared to possess appealed to the unscrupulous who thought he could provide grease to their financial ambitions, as well as patriotic Syrians who hoped for an infusion of foreign capital into the Syrian state. 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. 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. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. Eli himself was not above the spicier part of a spys life either. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! 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. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. He was sent to Argentina, where he took on the guise of a businessman, scion of a Syrian family. [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. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. Israel desperately tried to have his sentence commuted, and despite requests from world leaders and Pope Paul VI for clemency, Cohen was hanged publicly in May of that year. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. A New Zealander claiming to the son of a former Syrian president, says he knows the whereabouts of the executed Israeli spy's remains, according to a report on New Zealand news service Newshub on Sunday. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. 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. 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. 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. But the intelligence officers convinced him to go back one last time. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. 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 transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. "My darling Nadia, and my dear family,I am writing you these last words, minutes before my end, with the hope that you stay together forever.I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. The agent replied: "Will do, thanks K". His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. "Their ages range from four and a half to 32." "You must be very proud," I offer. Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. When the Baath took power in 1963, Eli was firmly entrenched in Syrian high society. Ahead of the mission, Cohen had to learn to speak Arabic in a Syrian accent rather than his native Egyptian. 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. Already a member? 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. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. Nadia, however, never remarried. one after the other 69 people were arrested. 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. In 1954, Egyptian authorities arrested Eli for being a terror suspect. 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. One day in 1960 Israeli Intelligence approached him about working for them again. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. Cohen was convicted of espionage. The location of Cohen's body remains unknown. But within a month he had lost his Tel Aviv-based accountancy job. 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. 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. Cohen was released because he was not linked with the underground. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/eli-cohen-16869.php. In the 1970s, they left Israel for Germany and in 1982, al-Gamal, alias Jacques Biton, died of an illness. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? His final visit was in 1964. The execution was recorded on 35mm film. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. 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. "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. The husband hunters among the Damascus rich and influential flocked to the handsome Taabet, hoping that their almond eyes, Byzantine beauty, and olive skin would secure a future of wealth and power: He became the most sought-after bachelor in the Syrian capital. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. 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. Eli Cohenalso learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In early 1961, Chaim Herzog, Chief of Military Intelligence and later president of Israel, signed the document authorizing Cohens use as a spy. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. He was tortured, but he wouldnt give away any incriminating information about Israel. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[25] but the Syrians refused. 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 continued his social life, spending a lot of time in cafes listening to political gossip. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Despite her criticism of the series, Ben-Dor said she understood why the shows creators took artistic license with her fathers story. Eli had lost his friends, in 1957 he immigrates to Israel. The TV film 'The Impossible Spy' (1987) chronicled Eli's life. 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. Eliyahu (Eli) Cohen, an Egyptian Jew, was born in Alexandria in 1924. I think as long as Bashar Assad is in power I dont see the word progress,' she said, referring to Syrias dictator. But he refused). He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. In order to capture the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, Israeli soldiers had to knock out a number of well-fortified Syrian outposts. His first assignment was to infiltrate the Jewish community of Alexandria. Israel could be the target of an aggressive attack by a larger, better Egyptian army that wanted to avenge its shameful defect in the Israel Independence War. The melting winter snows produce a huge run-off of water which makes the Golan a beautifully verdant area in the late winter and spring and irrigates the Hula and Jordan Valleys below. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. Look after them, raise them up and educate them well, and don't deprive them or yourself of anything. 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. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report. You're not alone. To no avail. Its waters flow into the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret) and south to the Dead Sea. 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. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. 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. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. Again, I. The transmissions became longer as well. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses.
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