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. They even started to organize a ceremony for Eli at the 'Mossad' headquarters in Glilot. In the short periods he came home he wanted to absorb all the love from his children, he even smelt their scent to stay with him, and he wanted to give all the love possible, like a father to his children. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. They had a son, Daniel, and after the Six Day War they celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. 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 agent replied: "Will do, thanks K". The agency concluded that Cohen had a high IQ, great bravery, a phenomenal memory, and the ability to keep a secret; but the tests also showed that in spite of his modest appearance, he has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a lot of internal tension. Cohen, the results indicated, does not always evaluate danger correctly, and is liable to assume risks beyond those which are necessary.. I beg my wife to forgive me, to take care of herself and our children. I give you my blessing. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. [9], In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935,[10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. 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. In January 1965, Syrian government officials announced that Eli is an Israeli spy. 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. Returning to Nadia is Cohens ultimate goal. 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. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. 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. Nadia and Eli Cohen pictured in the 1960s The 41-year-old was brutally hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, in May 1965 - and despite his last request to have his body returned to Israel, the Syrian authorities have to this day never disclosed the whereabouts of his remains. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. On 29 December 2022, Cohen was sworn in as Foreign Minister alongside a new government, and will rotate the position with Israel Katz. [15], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: ). 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. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: , Arabic: ; 6 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. 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. The following year, Syria found out about Cohen by tracing his intelligence transmissions to Israel. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. I want him (Yossi Cohen) to clarify what hapepned," said the 84-year-old. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. Syria brought hydraulic engineers and diversion equipment to actualize the scheme. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. Given their history of a paper trail, its fitting but heartbreaking to learn that their final exchange also took place over written correspondence. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. With senior staff officers acting as guides, Eli Cohen was provided an in-depth intelligence briefing of monumental proportions. They even photographed Eli on the Golan Heights, looking over into Israel, alongside the most high-ranking Syrian officers. 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. Eli Cohen, at 29, offered his services to the Israeli Intelligence Services but was rebuked twice. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. 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. [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. 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. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. 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 In The Spy, based on the true story of Israeli agent Eli Cohen, comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen takes on a serious role, playing the title character. 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.". Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. 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. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to work for Egypt's intelligence service. For more than 50 years, Nadia has fought to have her husbands body returned to Israel. Thanks". Al-Hafidh then sent his bank details, but the deal went cold. It went wrong, really wrong," he said. Despite her criticism of the series, Ben-Dor said she understood why the shows creators took artistic license with her fathers story. 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. She also said she understood and respected the show. [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 also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". Syria tortures him but he was still lying, his face was covered with wounds, his nail was pulled out. Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. 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. - From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. (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. (Haim Zach/GPO). [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. For four years, Cohen posed as a Syrian textile businessman named Kamal Amin Thabet, first in Argentina and later in Damascus. The Spy alternates between Cohens risky schemes with Nadias far more ordinary life. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. 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. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. 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. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. 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. Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. 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. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. Their youngest child, Shai, was only 21 days old then. He worked as an accountant. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. 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. In early 1961, Chaim Herzog, Chief of Military Intelligence and later president of Israel, signed the document authorizing Cohens use as a spy. 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. 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. 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. ", "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. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. Meanwhile, every few days he transmitted important information to his Israeli handlers via a radio transmitter he had hidden in his room. At times before the civil war, the Syrians used Israels northern border with Lebanon to harass Israel the way they used to from the Golan Heights. The Kinneret supplies Israel with most of its water needs. Cohen later. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. At this time the Ba'ath Party was illegal in Syria but the party seized power in 1963. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. On May 18, 1965, Eli was publicly hanged at the Marjeh Square in Damascus, Syria. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. Eli Cohenbecame certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. He wasnt even drafted into regular service but was placed in a reserve Israeli Air Force formation as a logistics clerk. Perhaps he wasnt allowed into the security service due to his Military Intelligence evaluation some years before. The Syrians and their Russian advisers were alarmed by the intelligence that was seeping out of the country. In January 1965, Syrian security services broke into Eli's apartment, where he was caught while he was escaping to Israel. For 19 years, Jewish settlements in the north were under constant threat of Syrian guns. 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. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. 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 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. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. 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. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. Eli Cohen (pictured, at center) was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Alexandria from Aleppo, Syria. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. His captors later remarked on his noble bearing and his courage despite the horrific Syrian interrogation methods. 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. He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. In August 2008, Assad's former bureau chief, Monthir Maosily, revealed that Eli had been buried thrice and that Israel would never receive his body. tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. They married in 1959, a month after meeting, and had three children together. The transmissions became longer as well. 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. They further said that the use of the term "partner" is generic and is applied to all those agencies with which we have contact. Cohen was caught and eventually executed by Syrian authorities in 1965. He is being executed according to the two articles 158 and 159 of the military penal code, and articles 271, 272, and 274 of the general penal code. Ahead of the mission, Cohen had to learn to speak Arabic in a Syrian accent rather than his native Egyptian. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. He was caught and sentenced to death. Some attributed this to a sense of cockiness (despite the fears he had expressed in November 1964), due to the ability and ease he had moved about in the highest echelons of Syrian power. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. A year later, in 1965, Cohen was caught transmitting over the radio back to Tel Aviv. they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. Intelligence created a completely new identity for him. The Israeli government and Cohens widow have for many years sought the return of Elis body. Text messages sent from an NZSIS agent called "Carl" appear to show him brokering a deal. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. Melita Norwood | longest-serving British spy | Melita Norwood Book, Death, Family, Daughter | melita norwood images. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. Decades after the Eli Cohen affair there are still many questions, some minor, others major - among them, the way in which Syrian counterintelligence identified the Israeli spy (from the archive). 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. In 1960, Cohen was recruited to be part of a dangerous mission to Syria. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. Years later, in February 2007, a Turkish official confirmed that the government had agreed to look into the matter of returning Eli's remains to his family. 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. Nine months later, in late 1961, Eli came back to Israel for a visit with his wife Nadia. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. 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. She once called her children and four grandchildren to her home in Herzliya, clicked a photo of them together, and sent it to Assad, congratulating him on the birth of his son, Bashar. "It was all for good intentions. The condom was used as a timing tool for mixed chemicals and produce a minor burst of fire. Irit does not know her father. He then moved to Damascus in February 1962, under his new identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet, to extract classified information from Syrian military officers. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. Unfortunately, Nadia and her family are still waiting to get Elis body and have not made peace with it. [34], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him.[35]. The Israel Defense Forces were alleged to have used the trees as targeting markers during the Six-Day War, which enabled Israel to capture the Golan Heights in two days. When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. 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. It, however, did not change the situation. 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. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. 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. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. His wife, Nadia, would be left a widow with three very young children. Again, I. 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. Offended, he resigned from military counterintelligence and took up a clerical job in a Tel Aviv insurance office. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. 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. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. They had three children, Sophie, Irit, and Shai. The Ba'athist coup and Eli Cohen's role. [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. Already a member? Do what you must, don't deprive the children of a father. 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. After several days, Eli got a new identity as. 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. To no avail. But Sophie was born without seeing his father. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. 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. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee [9], Syria refused to return Cohen's body to his family in Israel, and his wife Nadia sent a letter to Amin al-Hafiz in November 1965 asking his forgiveness for Cohen's actions and requesting his remains. 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.. He worked as an accountant and translator. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Spy. 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. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. Eli Cohen was the man for the job. 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. The Spy sees a friendship blossoming between Eli Cohen and Amin al-Hafiz, the future president of Syria, that begins as Cohen first goes undercover as Thaabet in Buenos Aires and mutually benefits them both for yearsright through to Cohen's discovery as an Israeli spy and subsequent execution. Learn more. In 2016, Nadia told 'Israel Radio' that former 'Mossad' chief Meir Dagan had asked the US officials to help bring Elis remains. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021).