Two of them were Abraham and Maurice. 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. Monthir Maosily, a former bureau chief for Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, claimed in 2007 that Hafiz and Cohen were not as close as was made out and that stories of Cohen infiltrating the very top of Syrian politics "had been exaggerated to undermine Syria, as if he was a spy who had transmitted Syria's deepest secrets.". 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. "I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has past," his final letter read. Cohen was arrested in January 1965 while transmitting to his handlers. 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. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. As depicted in Episodes 4 and 5 of The Spy, Cohen aligns with Hafiz and the Ba'ath political party to overthrow the reigning government of Syria in March 1963. After three months, Eli spoke passable Spanish, knew Buenos Aires well, dressed, and behaved like thousands of Arab immigrants living in Buenos Aires. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. Al-Gamal was born in 1927 and aspired to become an actor. One day in 1960 Israeli Intelligence approached him about working for them again. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. Cohen later. You're not alone. Did you spend your weekend binge-watching Netflix's taut thriller, The Spy? The text messages between Khalid and the NZSIS. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. 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. 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. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael. Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death.
Widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen: 'When he was caught, something died Already a member? children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. "I want to ask wasn't Eli worth the price? For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir led a campaign urging Damascus to consider the consequences of hanging him. Abdel Latif Hassan immediately wrote four letters one to his brother-in-law, two to friends in Beirut, and fourth to his son in Damascus. . Eventually, they had three children: Sophie Ben-Dor, Irit Peleg, and Shai Cohen. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. Cohen would then send intelligence back to Israel using a hidden radio transmitter. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. Eli Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of three years. One day Cohen was sitting in Saifs office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. Likud MK Eli Cohen Federation of Local Authorities conference in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022. He is best known for his espionage work in 196165 in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy.[1][2][3].
Nadia Cohen: The Untold Story of the wife of Eli Cohen He died in 2009. 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. 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. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. It doesnt fit our story but I understand the situation. He genuinely fit into life in the Syrian capital, and he was never suspected of being a spy until almost the very end. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. 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. "His parents, Syrian Jews from the thriving town of Aleppo, had always instilled in their educationally minded son the traditions of the Jewish people, of Zionism, and of the culture of Syria's Jewish community, in particular." 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. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? He also requested her to remarry so that their children would have a father and she would have a partner. Based on the eucalyptus trees, Israel knew exactly where the Syrian fortifications were. Please use the following structure: example@domain.com, Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition. In Episode 5, Maurice puts the clues together when he covers for the regular analyst that communicates with Cohen using Morse code. you lived with your uncle and worked as a travel agency, later were very successful. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. On January 24, 1965, Syrian intelligence broke into his home in the middle of a transmission. It is for these reasons Eli Cohen is known as Israels greatest spy. 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. [7] Cohen is married, has four children and lives in Holon. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. 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. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. By Lianne Back. 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. Do you rely on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful news on Israel and the Jewish world? "Soon after, my commanding officers summoned me to my base and informed me that Eli had spoken to them about the phone number incident. Eli was, however, persuaded continuously by Israeli intelligence agencies to return to Syria. His last wish was to see a rabbi. Hence, Nissim Andabo, the elderly chief rabbi of Syria accompanied him to Marjeh Square.. Cohen's training was long and exhausting. And much of the credit for Israels ability to capture the Golan was due to Eli Cohen, Israels greatest spy. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. The Syrian officer readily agreed and Eli immediately passed the information onto Israel. How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. 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. In November 1964, Tel Dan Syria open fire on Israel tractors in the demilitarized zone. [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. Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. In the 1987 TV movie 'The Impossible Spy,' Michal Bat-Adam portrayed Nadia, while in the 2019 'Netflix' series 'The Spy,' Hadar Ratzon-Rotem played her, with Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli. Cohen was convicted of espionage. He organized several protest campaigns against the British rule. In Episode 5, Cohen's playboy-esque Thaabet hosts a sex party at his apartment to distract key government and military officials while the Ba'ath Party's military committee seizes power in Damascus. Today, one can see the former Syrian bunkers that remain on the Golan Heights from 1967 (as well as the tanks from 1973). they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success.
'The Spy' Creator Gideon Raff on the True, 'Heartbreaking' Love Story He took on the name Kamel Amin Thaabet and went to live in Argentina for some time to build a name for himself in the Syrian expat community. Elis friendship with Amin al-Hafez proved very valuable.
The Spy is an aesthetically flawed portrait of Eli Cohen This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. China Offering Cutting Edge Type 052D Destroyers For Export: Are Algeria and Russia its Most lIkely Clients? 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. While there, he gained the trust of Amin al-Hafez, who would later become Syrias president. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. He also held parties at his home for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others. The children could not react to Eli's absence. He was quickly able to infiltrate the highest levels of Syrian society. [12][20][21] Cohen was able to find out that the Syrians planned to divert the Jordan River headwaters in an attempt to deprive Israel of water resources, providing information to Israeli forces that enabled them to destroy the equipment prepared for the task. Intelligence created a completely new identity for him. 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. 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. 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.. To establish his cover, Cohen moved to Buenos Aires in 1961. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. Because of that, perhaps he just tired of the whole charade. 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. "Sophie's. "You know, when I was growing up, I heard a tremendous amount about your husband. 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. References ^ Eli Cohen Knesset ^ Eli Cohen Ministry of Economy and Industry ^ Kulanu list Central Elections Committee The 2019 'Netflix' miniseries 'The Spy' had actor Sacha Baron Cohen portraying Eli. Israel could not survive without Jordan's water. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. All these years, I remained faithful to him. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. 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. Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. The condom was used as a timing tool for mixed chemicals and produce a minor burst of fire. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. Al-Hafidh claims he was in negotiations with the Mossad to reveal the information, but wanted $1million for his services which the intelligence agency refused to pay. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and Mossad managed to capture it. The drunk guests would often end up blabbing about their work to Cohen, who was sober but would pretend to be intoxicated. They warned me not to discuss the issue with Eli anymore and to share his secret with no one.". 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. had succeeded in friending a Saudi entrepreneur who had been contracted to plan and dig canals, the name was his friend was bin Laden, little Osama's father. Eli Cohenhad succeeded in friending a Saudi entrepreneur who had been contracted to plan and dig canals, the name was his friend was bin Laden, little Osama's father. Al-Gamal rushed to inform his superiors that Thabet was none other than Eli Cohen, the Alexandrian Jew. But his knowledge of. He then left the university and continued his studies at home. Saif calmly replied, Theres nothing to worry about. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. 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? 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. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924.
Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story - Refinery29 The six-part drama about Israeli spy Eli Cohen has gripped viewers and critics alike with its pulse-racing tale of espionage and a deceptively good dramatic performance by Sacha Baron Cohen, better known for his comedy work, as the Mossad agent.