Al-Hafidh wanted a million dollars for his services, texting: "1M for the minimum for kick start. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials. So now we have a request. But his knowledge of the Arab language and Arab culture, as well as prior work in espionage in Egypt, made him a good candidate for the Mossad. He wrote a last letter to his wife before he mounted the scaffold to a seething crowd. 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. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. 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. 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. His successes couldn't be vocally shared with his family, however. I want him, here and now, because I've reached the age that I deserve tranquillity. You're not alone. Eli's second instructor Yehuda taught him how to use a small, sophisticated radio transmitter. Nadia was told that Eli was working for the ministry of defense and would be completely safe. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. To no avail. Cohen wasnt allowed tell anyone of the plans and told his wife that he was working abroad for Israels Defense Ministry. 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. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. His final visit was in 1964. In 1960, the national intelligence agency of Israel, 'Mossad,' approached Eli for a classified mission in Syria. There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. 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. "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. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. I hope, pray, that he will be returned home by the time I die," Nadia told Haaretz in 2010. Cohen was born and raised in Egypt and was expelled to Israel in 1956. "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. 4 Min Read. [29] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. "Their ages range from four and a half to 32." "You must be very proud," I offer. The commenter agrees to the privacy policy of Ynet News and agrees not to submit comments that violate the. Israel has for decades worked to retrieve his remains. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. On January 24, 1965, Syrian intelligence broke into his home in the middle of a transmission. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel, 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. He died in 2009. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. The Spy, which was released Friday, tells the story of Cohen, who spied for Israel in Syria during the 1960s, providing valuable intelligence that was said to have greatly assisted the Israeli military in the 1967 Six Day War. 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. The information he had been providing them for years was too good to forego. The unit bombed unoccupied American and British installations, expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. "I am the son of the only person on this planet who knows where the remains are buried," he told Newshub in an interview. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. She understood from him that he would be working for the Ministry of Defense, but she didnt know where or in what capacity. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. This week, KAN 11 began broadcasting a documentary series "Lochem 566," (Fighter 566, Cohen's Mossad codename). He had seventeen lovers in Syria, all dazzling beauties with a fair degree of family power. Eli hoped as did Israeli Intelligence that these women would help him escape in time of crisis.. 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. 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 emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. 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. [31] A memorial stone has been erected to Cohen in the Garden of the Missing Soldiers in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. In addition, the commander of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Suedani trusted no one and disliked Eli. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. 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. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. 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? A devout Jew, Cohen wore tefillin during prayer, in his youth he planned of becoming a Rabbi with the backup of Moise Ventura (1893-1978), Chief Rabbi of Alexandria but the Rabbinical School closed down. Born Country:- Iraq Wife/Husband/Ex:- Eli Cohen (m. 1959-1965) Children:- Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Nadia Cohen is the widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who spied in Syria by posing as a wealthy merchant during the early 1960s before being caught and hanged to death publicly. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Eli Cohen was sent to Syria as an undercover agent, and he turned out to be the greatest spy to date. 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. Nadia Majald, and together they had three children. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. 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. 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. 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 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. In 1965, the Syrian secret service was on high alert. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. His first assignment was to infiltrate the Jewish community of Alexandria. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. also learned to identify the type and age of tanks, aircraft, and cannons. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. 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. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data for the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. [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. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". 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. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. While there are reports that Cohen hosted parties that would devolve into orgies at his apartment, in order to gain the trust of high-level people in power, there's no concrete evidence that he played a role in the March 1963 coup. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. 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. Over the years, Nadia has made several efforts to seek a bit of mercy from Syrian officials. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. 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. It was hard to see the distance from the truth in some parts of the series, Sophie Ben-Dor said in an interview with Channel 12 news. Last year, Israel was able to retrieve Cohens wristwatch from Syria and return it to his family. Eli was born Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, on December 26, 1924, in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, into a staunch Jewish and Zionist family. 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nadia-cohen-46980.php. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . 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. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. Learn more. In 1960, he was recruited to join the Mossad for a special mission in which he was to pretend to be a Syrian businessman returning to the country after having lived in Argentina. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. he supplies Eli with inside information about the political and military situation. After some months, Abdel Latif Hassan introduces Eli to General Amin El-Hafez, the military attache at the embassy. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. After his execution, a white parchment filled with anti-Zionist writing was put on his body, and he was left hanging for six hours. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. Please try again or choose an option below. He worked as an accountant. Source:The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, (c) 1992-2007. "It was all for good intentions. During their exchange, Cohen signs off by asking, "Did N get the Singer?" 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. He remembered and passed on to Israeli Intelligence the positioning of every Syrian gun, trench, and machine-gun nest in each Golan Heights fortification; tank traps, designed to impede any Israeli attack, were also identified and memorized for future targeting.. 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. 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.
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