This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. 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.Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. He ultimately complied. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. This book explains what happened in the six day war. 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. Eli Cohen was an Israeli spy in Damascus whose efforts led to the saving of countless Israeli lives in the 1960's. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (1924-1965) is best known for his espionage work in . Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. Irit does not know her father. 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. LAW-0245AO (05/18) tabet sends it to Argentina, where his friend dispatches them to Israel with a diplomatic pouch. Initially she was frustrated by the many inaccuracies in the dramatic portrayal, such as showing her struggling to work as a seamstress for an Israeli socialite or a Mossad handler becoming romantically interested in her. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. She and Eli Cohen Fell in Love at First Sight. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in a Jewish family. they let him see fortification and the bunkers, weapon concentrated in the area, and their offensive plans.l lieutenant. After coming to Israel, he briefly worked as a counter-intelligence analyst with the Israel Defense Forces, but resigned after his attempt to join the Mossad was rejected. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. 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Gen. Oded Basiuk says Iran poses a danger to the security and stability of the entire region, IAEA chief to meet Iranian president in Tehran for nuclear talks diplomat, US official says Iran could produce nuclear material for a bomb in about 12 days, Meet the real-life sister act behind the two new 90s Jewish American Girl dolls, Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy are the inspiration for a set of throwback characters with a nuanced interfaith Jewish background for fans of the popular line. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. But his knowledge of. One person found this helpful. In January 1965, Syrian government officials announced that Eli is an Israeli spy. 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. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. Eli Cohen, in full Eliahu ben Shaoul Cohen, also called Kamal Amin Thaabet, (born 1924, Alexandria, Egyptdied May 18, 1965, Damascus, Syria), Egyptian-born Israeli spy who infiltrated the highest ranks of the Syrian military and government by posing as a Syrian businessman. Spread the word. Various reports say that Biton was unveiled and offered the option of becoming a double agent. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. In the name of the Syrian Arab people, The Military court has decided in its meeting which was held on Muharram 7th, 1385 - May 8th, 1965 to sentence Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, a resident of Tel Aviv in Occupied Palestine, to death for committing the following crimes: The crime of disguised entry into a military location. [18], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. 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. Nadia said in a recent interview that when he was caught in Syria weeks later, something within me instantly died. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. In 1959, Eli met and later married his wife, beautiful, Iraqi born, Nadia. 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"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. Cohen later. "Newer members of the group got to meet Eli for the first time, and Eli took all the questions and proposals under careful consideration. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen heads to Germany Tuesday as part of Israel's campaign to halt Iran's . 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. But the series did not give al-Gamal enough credit, she said, and this led her to reveal his memoirs, which he wrote in secret and deposited with a lawyer for safekeeping. 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. Eli Cohen and his family later moved to Israel. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. Eliyahu BenShaul Cohen (Hebrew , Arabic 26 December 1924 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Israeli spy. Syrian officials began to suspect there was a spy in their midst after Israel thwarted a . He sent intelligence to Israel by radio, secret letters, and occasionally in person; he secretly traveled to Israel three times. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. Cohen lives with his wife and four children in Holon. It's a non-fiction account of an Israeli spy. Eli was arrested but soon released due to a lack of evidence. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! It was a solemn day for Israel, as it has lost a talented spy. 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. The crime of obtaining secret information is kept hidden to ensure the safety of the country to benefit the enemy. 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. But the intelligence officers convinced him to go back one last time. Cohen expressed fear of discovery to the Mossad on his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964, and he stated that he wished to terminate his assignment in Syria. After several days, Eli got a new identity as Kamal Amin Tablet, son of Syrian parents, born in Beirut. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. he goes abroad for business and meets Nadia and Sophie in Bat Yam. Rudy Giuliani confirms Trump repaid Cohen for Stormy Daniels hush money. She was eventually able to appreciate the renewed interest in her late husband and was impressed by Sacha Barons acting. In 1954, Egyptian authorities arrested Eli for being a terror suspect. Eli and Nadia Cohen under the chuppah. 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. He was husband to Carole Cohen; brother to Narda Gabbay; father to Margalit Tocher, Roslyn V The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. (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. [16][17] Mossad had carefully planned the tactics that he was to use in building relationships with high-ranking Syrian politicians, military officials, influential public figures, and the diplomatic community. The Mossad never really forgot Cohen. Eli was arrested, interrogated, and tortured. He reminded me of my father sometimes, she added. Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. At the age of 15, he became the leader of an underground leftist communist group in Iraq that operated against the oppressive Iraqi regime. 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. A supporter of the Aliyah, Eli had previously assisted the Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, when he was in Egypt. 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. 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? Prior to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. 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. Premiering Friday, Sep. 6, the six-episode miniseries tells the iconic story of Eli Cohen, a Mossad agent who undertook a mission to ingratiate himself into the upper echelons of Syrian society a . Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield opened her Riverdale home to a family of Ukrainian refugees. The goal was to gather intelligence from high-ranking Syrian politicians and military officials. We, citizens of Israel, will forever remember Eli Cohen as a true hero, who sacrificed his life in the defense of our security and for the freedom of our country." (Ynet) I understand and respect [it], she said in a separate interview earlier Sunday with the network. later he handed with Syrian passport in name of kamal Amin tabet, he advised to open a bank account in that name and start visiting Arab restaurants, the cinema where Arab movies are shown, and political club. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? Calling Cohen "our brother, a hero of Israel," President Reuven Rivlin said Monday, "Eli Cohen was an extraordinary hero of Israel. 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. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. They were married in a synagogue within a month and she soon became pregnant with their first child, daughter Sophie. 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. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. A young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel times. Israel three times officers convinced him to return to Syria one more.... Bunkers, weapon concentrated in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman to... Goal was to gather intelligence from eli cohen children Syrian politicians and military officials, as it has lost talented... 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