Cohen was said to have been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. We dont know where, in what place, in what country. 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. The watch was part of Eli Cohens operational image and part of his fabricated Arab identity, he added. She discusses what the experience may tell us about Jewish obligation, history and dignity. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Eli's widow, Nadia, has since led the campaign.[6][9]. Receiving his primary education at a local Jewish community school, Eli nevertheless considered himself a patriot of Egypt, the country in which he was born. Already daily life is not [easy] and when things like this pop up, it just boggles the mind, and disturbs my soul, she added. Irit, and Shaoul, also to all my family, especially to my . It takes just a few seconds. His heritageof dedication, determination. Eli Cohen, publicly hanged in Al-Marjeh Square, Damascus on 18 May 1965, After a trial before a military tribunal, he was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death under 'martial law'. I request you, dear Nadia, to pardon me and take care of yourself and our children. Photo by Amir Cohen / Reuters. Nadia Cohen, Eli Cohens widow, said she had never seen the footage and told Channel 2 watching the video was difficult and that it took me back [to those days].. There was great excitement because it is essentially the only item of dad that came back, we have nothing else besides that, she said. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel, BONUS - What Matters Now to Haviv Rettig Gur: Taking advantage of this moment of decisions. The unit bombed American and British installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. 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. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, shows a photograph of herself with her late husband, during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. Cohen himself was not above the spicier part of a spy's life either. Cohen grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, the son of Syrian Jewish parents. I didnt know about his trip to Argentinathats where he learned about Syrian culture and began to blend in with the Syrian community. 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. Saif calmly replied, 'There's nothing to worry about. The Mossad . Diplomats, Prime Ministers, and Pope Paul VI try to intercede. The intelligence conveyed to Israel during that period was credited by then-prime minister Levi Eshkol with greatly assisting Israels victory during the Six Day War. During those years, Nadia alone raised their three children. ", On May 18, 1965, Cohen was publicly hanged in Al-Marjah Square in Damascus. Eli Cohen s el nom dels segents personatges: . That proved to be his downfall. Eli Cohen, born in 1924, was raised in a devout Jewish family in Alexandria, Egypt. Nadia said: He used to sit around the house for days and nights and decipher maps. Marco Carmel. He soon began to transmit information about Syrian military plans back to Israel. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. Cohen grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, the son of Syrian Jewish parents. Support Veteran Journalism . Cohen was then informed that the Mossad had decided to recruit him, and underwent an intensive, six-month course at the Mossad training school. Eli informed Nadia that as part of his work he must bring spare parts for Israeli weapons. 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. View Iris F Cohen results in Texas (TX) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. She even appealed to the Soviet Union. In January 1962 he traveled from Italy to Beirut on his way to Damascus, and on the deck of the ship he connected with another immigrant who had also returned to the homeland and through which he began to establish ties with the Syrian elite. After undergoing a series of harsh torture and interrogations lasting about a month, his trial began on 22 February. And of course, the Mossad bought it and carried out all of the tests to make sure it was the right watch.. 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]. Countless newspaper articles, three books, a film, and television programs recounted his life story, his special activity and his death. Cohen was an Israeli spy who was initially rejected by Mossad. There was no longer anything they could do. Eli Cohen, the most famous Israeli spy, was executed by hanging on May 18, 1965. they made great efforts to locate the secret transmission to Israel with help of Soviet-made equipment, in January 1965 they got success. Eli Cohen had sacrificed everything for his people and now the badly humiliated Syrians were about to take revenge. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , This one may not rate up there with some of the other coups that Mossad has pulled off, like the incredible stealing of, Cohen was an Israeli spy who was initially rejected by Mossad. is included in the archives of The Associated Press, Syrian art treasures , , sought the assistance of the United States, Already a member? Foi vrias vezes interrogado e torturado. Please sit, she says, as she heads into the kitchen. Because of this, Cohen expressed his fear and wish to terminate his assignment in Syria during his last secret visit to Israel in November 1964 to pass intelligence and for the birth of his third child. One of the ministry's directors entered the room unannounced. At a ceremony at Mossad headquarters, Director Yossi Cohen presented the watch to Cohens family. 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. The coups leader, Amin al-Hafez, continued to favour Cohen, and he reportedly considered appointing him deputy minister of defense. Corrections? nadia cohen age. The trees were used as targeting markers by the Israeli military during the Six-Day War and enabled Israel to easily capture the Golan Heights in two days. Cohen is perhaps the Mossad's most famous deep-penetration agent. Who was Eli Cohen? Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jews and expelled many of them. Cohen studierte nach seinem Militrdienst an der Universitt Tel Aviv und an der Open University of Israel Wirtschaftswissenschaften. Two years after his immigration to Israel, Eli married his wife, Nadia, from Iraq: In 1958 we met and fell in love with him at first sight. * * * 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. Could the government cancel elections? Cohen immigrated to Israel in 1957 and was recruited by Military Intelligence, to a unit that later became part of the Mossad. # for Twitter hashtag - Twstalker . He continued his social life as in Argentina, spending time in cafes listening to political gossip. In March, Nadia Cohen told Israel Radio that the late Mossad chief Meir Dagan had sought the assistance of the United States as late as 2011, after the Syrian civil war broke out, to help bring his remains to Israel for burial. Hundreds were deported to Etel A year later, at the age of thirty-three, Eli and his family immigrated to Israel, many of whom came from the Jewish community in Alexandria, settling in Bat Yam because of their proximity to the sea and in accordance with their economic abilities. His remains were not retrieved by Israel and the regime in Syria has claimed it does not know where he is buried. [20] In August 2008 Monthir Maosily, the former bureau chief of the late Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, said that Eli Cohen's burial site is unknown, claiming that the Syrians buried the executed Israeli spy three times, to stop the remains from being brought back to Israel via a special operation. Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen itinerary in Berlin included a visit on Tuesday to the Holocaust Memorial on Cora-Berliner-Strae. His heritageof dedication, determination, courage, and love of the homelandis our heritage. A two-minute video posted on Syrian opposition. I felt like it was part of his body, that some of his skin and some of his blood was in that watch, she added. , Began to suspect that Syria was operating a mole. She smiles. Those included the Syrian military attach, Amin al-Hafez, who would later serve as president of Syria. After undergoing a series of harsh torture and interrogations lasting about a month, his trial began on 22 February. But he returned for one final go at it, unaware that the Syrians had brought in Soviet radio direction finding equipment. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In November 1965, Cohen's wife, Nadia sent a letter to Hafez al-Assad and asked his forgiveness for Eli's actions, hoping to receive remains of her husband. [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. 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. Cohen was interrogated, convicted in a military trial, and publicly hanged in May 1965. a few words about him.a few words about him. '", Cohen provided an incredible amount of intelligence data to the Israeli Army over a period of four years (1961-1965). quistus nulla at. It Will Be Good: If he can accept what is happening, why cant I? "The complete trust Cohen enjoyed among his unwitting informants is illustrated by the following incident, which might have had serious consequences for Cohen. , . List of battleships of the United States Navy. 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This one may not rate up there with some of the other coups that Mossad has pulled off, like the incredible stealing of Irans nuclear files, but the retrieval of a wristwatch that was owned by Eli Cohen is important because of the symbolism of what it means more than the watch itself. Please be always in close communication with my dear parent. , , After saying Kaddish to the memory of his father, his last wish was to write a farewell letter to his wife and children: Dear Nadia, my dear family, I am writing these last words to you in the hope that you will always remain united. For now, the watch is all they have and will have to suffice. in hendrgravida Una familia que vive el Imperio Otomano, el Mandato Britnico y la Guerra de la Independencia de Israel. After completing further training, Cohen was sent in 1961 to Buenos Aires, where he posed as an expatriate Syrian businessman. Parents passed out sweets among their children, while lively music played. Yuval Scharf. The watch, she said, was not kept in pristine condition, but its moving to know dad touched it. Four months later, he was executed in a public hanging. Over the years, Nadia Cohen unsuccessfully made several appeals to the Syrian government to release her late husbands remains. Mossad Director Yossi Cohen said, We remember Eli Cohen and do not forget. Will Bibis legacy be a new constitution for Israel or civil war? His heroic life story is part of the curriculum and many students and students choose to write works about Eli Cohen, our man in Damascus. The trial took place in front of a military court and closed doors. he angrily asked Saif. Despite the fact that the video is not new, and is included in the archives of The Associated Press, the re-publication set off a stir in Israel. Noble Savage Pere Atzil. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. Summers with Chaim Dovid: The memories of that summer are different Just Ask: A summer gets off to a good start. 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. Screenshot from footage showing Israeli spy Eli Cohen placed in a coffin after his execution by hanging in Damascus, Syria on May 18, 1965. Eli Cohen (hebrisch ; * 3. The settlement Eliad in the Golan Heights is named after him. Its not like he just set foot in Israel and became a Mossad agent. 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Irit can also be referred to using alternative name, like Irit A Bershadsky, Irit Bershadsky, Irit Cohen, Irit Brshadsky. Despite the gravity of the state crime committed by Cohen against Syria, the authorities still allowed him to communicate letters with his wife, children and parents, while in prison. The coups leader, Amin al-Hafez, continued to favour Cohen, and he reportedly considered appointing him deputy minister of defense. To this day, the Syrians refuse to discuss the return of a suspectHis death. If passed, this judicial legislation would jeopardise the fundamental rights of all Israelis, not just minorities. Last year, at the 50th anniversary of his death, then-Mossad director Tamir Pardo said Israel has an obligation to bring the body of Cohen to Israel for burial. He spent time in two parts of Buenos Aires. Her home is impeccably clean and decorated in a modern style. On January 24, 1965, Syria officially announced the exposure of spy Eli Cohen. For the information he gave me about the new tanks, planes and cannonsAcquired by the Syrians and the deployment of the army in the Golan, had a decisive influence on Israels victory in the northern arena in the Six-Day War, two years after his death. Title Year Status . 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. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! I decided the watch would remain in the Mossad. At these parties such highly-placed officials would "talk freely of their work and army plans. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to. >. Eli Cohens brother-in-law, author Sami Michael, Nadias brother, said Eli Cohen was the most famous Israeli agent, and his exploits still nourish and nourish the imagination of many people. For two weeks he was put under surveillance, and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. Eli Cohen took his last few steps to the stool on which hed stand for his execution. He worked as a translator and an accountant before once again being recruited by Israeli intelligence in 1960. [12] After Hafiz became Prime Minister, Cohen may even have been considered for the position of Syrian Deputy Minister of Defense,[13] although Hafiz's secretary has denied that this was the case. 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. He later returned to Damascus and continued his mission of infiltration into the Syrian political echelon in March 1962. 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. It remains our obligation to bring Eli home, to bury him in Israel, Pardo said at the event. . One day he was sitting in Saif's office reading a classified document while the Syrian was on the phone. 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. [ 11][ 12] Cohen foi enforcado no Marjeh Square em Damasco em 18 de maio de 1965. Er war als Vizeprsident fr das Unternehmen Israel Land Development Company ttig. Eli was absorbed into the Syrian-Lebanese community in Argentina. In January 1965 Syrian counterintelligence identified his radio signal and apprehended him in the act of sending a transmission. The work he received, in The Central Mashbir, gave him financial security, but he felt that another vocation awaited him. 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. 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. Eli Cohen (hebreu: ) (Alexandria, Egipte, 26 de desembre de 1924 - Damasc, Sria, 18 de maig de 1965) va ser un clebre espia israeli.. Biografia Monument en el seu honor en la Muntanya Herzl, Jerusalem.. Eli Cohen va ser reconegut com un dels ms reeixits espies dels temps moderns. Upon the watchs return to Israel, special research and intelligence operations were carried out which culminated in the unequivocal determination that this was indeed Eli Cohens watch, the Mossad said. She was married to him only for a few years from 1959 to his death in May 1965, but never remarried because of her deep love for him and raised their three children alone. Nascut a Alexandria, Egipte, de pares jueus sirians d'Alep, va contribuir a activitats . He travelled to Israel for a brief espionage training course in 1955 and returned to Egypt the following year. We were scared that Israel would send forces to take away the body. [19] Schmitt, Abram N. Shulsky, Gary J. Five months after being captured by the Syrian security forces, Cohen was hanged in front of everyone in Marja square in the Lev of Damascus. Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. The rabbi testified that he had met a broken, yet determined, person who wanted to inform his family that he had fulfilled his duty to the end and remained faithful to his people and country. 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. After four years of working undercover, he was caught as he was transmitting a message to Israel and was arrested in January 1965. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Cohen received classified military briefings and was taken on tours of the Syrian fortifications in the Golan Heights. "It was exciting," Cohen recounted. A noose was placed around his neck by a high-ranking Syrian government official who read the charges against Eli, who stood silently looking frightened. In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in military intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. Rochel; Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, however no link between Cohen and the accused could be found. Irit has reached the age of fifty years. . Con habilidades de orientacin a resultados, orden y claridad, iniciativa, y responsabilidad. . Oktober 1972 in Cholon) ist ein israelischer Politiker der Partei Likud (seit 2019) und der Partei Kulanu (bis 2019).. Leben. I am not thirsty for water. Screenshot/Channel 2). We havent touched it yet, its in a frame at the lobby outside the Mossad directors office., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mossad for an operation whose sole purpose, he said, was to bring back to Israel a memory of a great fighter who contributed greatly to the State of Israel.. All Rights Reserved. His name has been immortalized in numerous institutions and sites throughout the country: streets, buildings, synagogues, libraries, learning centers, parks and groves. 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. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initiated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. His most famous achievement was when he toured the Golan Heights, and collected intelligence on the Syrian fortifications there. Cohen learned of an important secret plan by Syria to create three successive lines of bunkers and mortars; the Israel Defense Forces would otherwise have expected to encounter only a single line. How old are you? During the early 1960s, he succeeded in infiltrating the highest levels of the Syrian defense establishment. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! Their deafening loud jeers didnt drown out the anti-Semitic slurs being hurled at Israels prized spy, 41-year-old Eli Cohen, who having just concluded Viduy with the chief rabbi of Damascus, Rabbi Nissim Andabo, was being led by armed Syrian soldiers to the tall gallows erected in downtown Damascus in his honor. What was Eli like? He was a very happy person, very smart. Therefore, in 1960 left this position. We remember and have maintained a close connection over the years with his family, Nadia and the children. He spent time living in Argentina working on his cover story and there were even rumors that he, as a rich businessman with a wealth of contacts in the government was being considered as the Deputy Defense Minister for Syria. 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. She emerges moments later, holding a tray with glasses of water. He made an effort to see maps of tiny buildings and some of them to build mosques, buildings, soccer fields, and basketball courts. After the cell was exposed, in an affair that was later known as the shameful affair, Eli was arrested for questioning by the Egyptian police and immediately released for lack of evidence. In the darkness of the night to the radio and cut his ears, looked around him during the day, and opened his eyes There is no thank you lesson to which the State of Israel owes them Eli Cohen was one of the best in the group, Time, and also allows us to act after the death of Eli Cohen became a symbol and model of sacrifice and giving to his people, his country and his homeland. lorem ipsum dolor s This is the secret of Eliahu Cohen, Israel's most famous spy. In 1964, Cohen secretly returned to his home in Bat Yam for the birth of his third child. . 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. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. He knew its leaders and was equipped with letters of recommendation, which would help him penetrate the centers of power in Damascus. He was a legend, I declare. They would have three children, Sophie, Irit and Shai.