In 2001 Hafez in interview with Al-jazeera distanced himself from Cohen he said that such a friendship would be impossible given the fact that he had been in Moscow until 1962. Cohens espionage work took on even greater importance when a Bathist junta that included several of his associates from Argentina seized power in Syria in 1963. One of the ministry's directors entered the room unannounced. Irit, and Shaoul, also to all my family, especially to my . Because of his friendship with the activists in one of the cells, they asked him to rent a room for them in the city. Included in this was that the Syrians had constructed three lines of defense where the Israelis believed there was only one. So while this operation wasnt anything as bold as some of their other operations, it shows that the Israelis have a very long memory and a token as this watch is as important to them as it was over 50 years ago. [9][10], The tactics of Cohen to build relations with Syrian high-ranked politicians, military officials, influential public figures and local foreign diplomacy community, have been carefully masterminded by Mossad. Let there be one patriot who will discover where the body is and give us peace and comfort., She called on the prime minister or the Mossad to fight to bring back Eli., Enough of this torment, that he is there and we are here. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. His work bored him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Irit was born on 08.21.72. Eli Cohen, also called Kamal Amin Thaabet, Egyptian-born Israeli spy who infiltrated the highest ranks of the Syrian military and government by posing as a Syrian businessman. Eli Cohen was an Israeli spy who operated an undercover mission in Syria, between 1961 and 1965. For as little as $6/month, you will: Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. Eli Steen. 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. Details of his espionage tactics are classified and most probably will never be revealed to public. At a ceremony at Mossad headquarters, Director Yossi Cohen presented the watch to Cohens family. She emerges moments later, holding a tray with glasses of water. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [3] 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. Apparently, the woman that had the watch after Cohens arrest and execution wanted to sell it. Irit has reached the age of fifty years. This year, at the conclusion of an operation, we succeeded in locating and bringing to Israel the wristwatch that Eli Cohen wore in Syria until the day he was captured. Feigning sympathy for the soldiers exposed to the sun, Cohen had trees planted at every position. Beyond that, he had no involvement in their activities. Requests by Cohen's family for his remains to be returned to Israel have been rejected by the Syrian authorities (as of September 2012). In a brilliant move, under the guise of feeling badly for the troops sitting in open bunkers in the heat, he arranged to have trees planted, giving the troops some shade and relief from the heat. Eli Cohen and his family later moved to Israel. His fluency in Arabic, English, and French made him an attractive recruit for Israeli intelligence. Summers with Chaim Dovid: The memories of that summer are different Just Ask: A summer gets off to a good start. He also held parties at his home, which turned into orgies for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others, who used Cohen's apartment "for assignations with various women, including Defense Ministry secretaries, airline hostesses, and Syrian singing stars." As an activist in the party, one of the loyalists of President Amin al-Hafez, senior military officers shared sensitive and vital information and invited him to patrol the bases in order to advance their careers. While on his way in a truck to Al-Marjah Square, he was accompanied by Nissim Andabo, the 80-year old Chief Rabbi of Syria.[4]. Oktober 1972 in Cholon) ist ein israelischer Politiker der Partei Likud (seit 2019) und der Partei Kulanu (bis 2019).. Leben. After all, this is her lifes story. Would you like a drink? she asks. Eli, who would feign intoxication, remained sober and listened carefully." Join Facebook to connect with Irit Cohen and others you may know. At the beginning of September 1964, he was formally appointed to the rank of Major, and was one of the most tense periods in the history of the Syrian-Israeli and Arab-Israeli conflict. Mossad agent Cohen was put on trial and executed for espionage after he successfully infiltrated the Syrian government under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet for four years. ididunt ut magna aliqua. His advice to the Syrians to plant eucalyptus trees for camouflage purposes around their fortifications at the level helped our forces locate them accurately. He's a trusted friend. He continued his social life as in Argentina, spending time in cafes listening to political gossip. Eli Cohen became certain that Israel had spied in the Syrian government. Er war als Vizeprsident fr das Unternehmen Israel Land Development Company ttig. On 15 May 1965, Cohen wrote in his final letter:[3], "I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. He is best known for his espionage work in 1961 - 1965 in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the political and military hierarchy and became the Chief Adviser to the Minister of Defense. "It was exciting," Cohen recounted. The website www.elicohen.org.il provides extensive information about Eli Cohens heritage and the love of Israel. Were really pleased that youve read, Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. There were tears and a sadness to see [the post-execution video] right in front of you, how hes lowered from the rope into the coffin, to see the vehicles there, to see the masses in the square, and all of it accompanied with loud music [and] happiness, its not simple, she said. The IDF succeeded in thwarting this plot, thanks to the information it provided me. February 27, 2023 By scottish gaelic translator By scottish gaelic translator On his return to Damascus, at one of the new Syrian elite parties, he dubbed the contractor who was in charge of building the diversion facility. * * * Today the sun is setting in the beautiful Israeli coastal town of Herzliya as I arrive at the address I am looking for and park my car nearby. he angrily asked Saif. 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 mother Dont forget also your dear family; give them my best regards. Please try again or choose an option below. We remember and have maintained a close connection over the years with his family, Nadia and the children. The crowd of thousands of rowdy Syrians standing in Damascuss Marjeh (Martyrs) Square waited impatiently for the big moment. He later returned to Damascus and continued his mission of infiltration into the Syrian political echelon in March 1962. Before his execution, he was allowed to meet with Rabbi Nissim Andibu-Cohen, the Chief Rabbi of the Damascus Jewish Community, who strengthened his spirit and prayed with him on the customary prayers. Between 1961 and 1965 Cohen passed Syrian secrets to the Israeli government in what is remembered as one of the most daring and productive intelligence-gathering operations in Israeli history. During Elis time in Egypt, prior to his emigration to Israel, he worked for the Mossad. Were you aware of this when you married him? Of course not, she says. However, his name and picture were put on the list of suspects. His friends, for whom he rented the room, Dr. Moshe Marzuk and Sami (Shmuel) Ezer, were tried and executed by hanging, and Eli decided to enlist in Israeli intelligence to continue their path and avenge their death. In August 1961 he left Argentina for me. The Exodus: Those Left Behind // As the exodus from Brooklyn continues, what is happening to the communities and people who remain? Meanwhile in Bat Yam, Israel, only 135 miles away from Damascus, the Cohen family, Elis mother, his wife Nadia, and his siblings, sat huddled in the living room of their crowded apartment as their husband, son, and brother was led to the gallows to be killed for his crimes. From this trip to me came a completely different man, Nadia said, with a mustache, he gained weight, he came back with a very high self-confidence and I was Simcha I saw that he loved what he was doing, that he was exhausting his abilities. Despite Cohens considerable talent for espionage, he displayed a tendency for carelessness, ignoring his Israeli handlers warnings against sending radio transmissions too frequently or always at the same time of day. How many children do you have? I ask. Born in Alexandria, Egypt to devout Zionist Jews, he eventually was forced to leave Egypt and settled in Israel in 1957. The unit bombed American and British installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. The IDF managed to attack the facility efficiently, using tanks and planes, and destroy all Syrian equipment that was intended to divert the sources of the Jordan River, until it could not be rehabilitated. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen remained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities. The watch, she said, was not kept in pristine condition, but its moving to know dad touched it. They infiltrated into Syria and were able to purchase the watch and bring it home. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eli-Cohen, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Eli Cohen. She even appealed to the Soviet Union. He had been buying guns for the Israelis, arranging aliyah for Egyptian Jews, and he was involved with many other matters related to the Mossad. Did you have any idea of what he was doing? I ask, referring to his spy work with the Mossad. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. Corrections? What does your father do? As I steer the conversation back to her, I realize that although it has been 53 years since her husbands death, the years of sadness and pain have not dimmed her smile as she speaks about her late husband. After his request to integrate into a more operational activity was rejected, he chose to try his luck in the civilian market. 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Between 1961 and 1965 Cohen passed Syrian secrets to the Israeli government in what is remembered as one of the most daring and productive intelligence-gathering . To my dear Nadia and my dear family: I am writing to you these last words, a few minutes before my end, and I would like to beg you to be forever united. 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The grave was moved after a day or two, Monjer Motsley said in an interview. For the purpose of installation and frequency reset, a nationwide wireless shutdown was decided on January 7. And of course, the Mossad bought it and carried out all of the tests to make sure it was the right watch.. Eli was gone. Now Eli Cohen's astonishing real life James Bond story is the basis of the new Netflix miniseries The Spy, starring Sacha Baron Cohen. He was a member of the Maccabi youth movement and a member of the Maccabi youth movement As a Jew with Zionist awareness, I was filled with pride at the establishment of the State of Israel, and his initial contact with the Israeli intelligence community was created in 1952 when he was twenty-eight years old.In the same period, the IDFs intelligence apparatus operated secret cells In Egypt. Its not like he just set foot in Israel and became a Mossad agent. The judge accused him of treason, for the entire Syrian leadership regarded him as an Arab.