He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. He died in 2009. As we saw, the Syrians continually harassed Israels northern settlements from 1948-67. His final visit was in 1964. Eli was brutally tortured and interrogated before he was publicly hanged on May 18, 1965, at the Marjeh Square in Damascus. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. 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. Still, the memory of those domestic joys sustains Cohen while hes away. (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. Syria has not even disclosed the location of Eli's grave. Eli could watch the entrance to the Syrian government officials' guest house. Eli Cohen was now a member of the inner circle of power. Eli had to conceal the microfilm inexpensive boxes containing backgammon pieces .the music ornament could be dug out of the polished wood and reinserted after microfilm had been placed in the cavity. To no avail. He has reached the apex of success, and it seems that there is no door he can't open. Eli Cohen Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements He was convicted in a trial without a defense and sentenced to death. By 1960, however, Israeli Intelligence was ready to take another look at Eli Cohen. I had gotten under his cover," said Maurice Cohen. In 'The Spy,' Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Serious : NPR How is it that you dare allow a stranger to read a classified document? he angrily asked Saif. His new friends introduced Eli to top government officials, senior army officers, and leaders of the ruling party. Eli married Iraqi Jewish Nadia Majald, sister of Hebrew author Sami Michael, in 1959. try to make as many friends as possible, and establish contact with Arab leaders. Double Agent's Widow Offers New Take on Eli Cohen Affair In February 2007, a Turkish official assured assistance to Eli's family to get back his body. 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. While undercover in Argentina in The Spy, Cohen struggles to resist drafting her notes, even if it puts him in danger. From the creation of Israel through, the present day, Syria has been one, if not the most, implacable of Israels enemies. 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. Cohen would pretend to be drunk to encourage such conversations, to which he paid close attention. It could not let Syria succeed and planning a response. 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.". It takes just a few seconds. [12], He was then given a false identity as a Syrian businessman who was returning to the country after living in Argentina. While working as an intelligence officer offer him a job with high pay, Eli didn't say no and become a secret agent. We may recall the Egyptian-Jewish spies from the Operation Susannah fiasco. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. Sacha Baron Cohen, the Mossad and Netflix. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. Were they not interested? Cohen was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965. "Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future!". Eli studied at a local Jewish community school and then attended the 'University of Alexandria' to study electrical engineering. he soon became a well-known figure in the Arab circle. The news spread everywhere that the Syrian leader is a spy, a president friend, a millionaire. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. The Golan is not only important for its military significance. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. A year later your sister dies.in 1947 all of you arrived in Argentina. He was sentenced to death. After a few months, Eli was visited by George Salem Seif, a radio show host in charge of radio Damascus broadcast for Syrian abord. become close friends. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. In 1963, during a business trip to Germany, he met Weltrude Scheffeldt, a divorcee, then 22 and with a small child, and married her. Despite being away from home for months at a time, he fathered three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Cohen's astonishing undercover career lasted for four years. In his late teens, Cohen became an ardent Zionist and at the same time, as . Sophia Cohen the 26-year-old daughter of billionaire hedge funder and Mets owner Steve Cohen is no longer engaged to her financier boyfriend Jason Levine, Page Six has confirmed. He arrived in Israel on February 8, 1957. He was taught high-speed evasive driving techniques, Weapons proficiency (especially with a wide variety of small arms), topography, map reading, sabotage, and, most importantly, radio transmissions and cryptography. Periodically Eli would return to Israel to speak with his Israeli handlers and visit his wife and small children. The watch is now on display at the 'Mossad' headquarters. Daniel Sonnenfeld,55 years after execution in Syria, Israeli spy Eli Cohen makes headlines,Jerusalem Post, February 27, 2021). He did not object, in fact, to the idea of a ladies man reputation. Al-Gamal, for his part, adopted the Jewish identity of Jacques Biton and immigrated to Israel from France on the orders of Egyptian intelligence. I was more worried, Ben-Dor said of hearing that Cohen, who is known for playing comedic figures such as Borat, would star in the series. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. In February 2007, the Turkish government offered to act as a mediator for their return. Cohen established his contact quickly, his letter of recommendation opened the gates to high society. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. Eli visited other Arab friends as Abdel Latif Hassan and his briefcase was full of enthusiastic letters of recommendation. If I wanted something, I called, they put me through to him immediately. Recalling Elis final days, Nadia states he was in Bat Yam, with her and the three babies. thus Israel needed an agent in Damascus (Sami Micheal, Nadia Cohen's brother was recruited. Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. Also in Episode 5, viewers see Hafiz assume power after demanding the resignation of Syria's then-president, Nazim al-Qudsi. He worked as an accountant and translator. Eli Cohen was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy best known for his espionage work in the 1960s in Syria, where it was alleged he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military. 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. 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. Maurice Cohen told his brother he had a new phone line installed in his house and "gave the number of his apartment in Damascus, which I had received in a message just before he'd come home.". 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. I give you my blessing. On September 20, 2016, an unknown Syrian group named 'Syrian Art Treasures' posted a 'Facebook' video showing Eli's body after his execution. Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to Jewish parents, who had migrated to Alexandria from Syria. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Israeli ambassador, Itzhak Gerberg, would not comment on the report. Khalid al-Hafidh, a Syrian migrant living in Auckland, claims to be the son Amin al-Hafiz, a Syrian leader who presided over the country during Cohen's execution and his subsequent secret burial. After the Israel Independence War In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. Despite this, however, Israeli intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. He made friends who moved in highly influential Syrian circles, transmitting his findings back to Israel via radio. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World Israel attacked the project serval time later they abandon the project in 1965. The highly vigilant Russian security experts, equipped with very sensitive technical intelligence-gathering equipment, pinpointed the source of the transmissions in the Syrian capital and it was Elis home. 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. This helped the army win the Six-Day War and capture the Golan Heights. your father and uncle opened a textile store, but it went bankrupt your father died in 1956 and six months later your mother died too. Reports earlier this year said a Russian delegation had removed his remains from Syria in an attempt to bring them to Israel. 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. He would entertain high-ranking politicians and military officials at extravagant parties where there would be many women and lots of booze. Concentrate on yourself; look forward to a better future! He was also allowed to write a final letter to his wife. One day they took Eli to visit the Syrian positions along Israel's border. In 1959, he married Nadia Majald, born circa 1935, [10] an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant and the sister of author Sami Michael.