4. cs ARABIC. [2], Newly appointed Syrian Intelligence Colonel Ahmed Suidani trusted no one and disliked Cohen. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, personal life, career, achievements, and death. The actor’s father - an Orthodox Jewish accountant - treasured the tale of Eli, and Baron Cohen was asked to play the spy role shortly after he died. He would also lend money to government officials, and many came to him for advice. The government initiated an anti-Zionist campaign in 1951, after a military coup, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities. Syrian security services led by Suidani broke into Cohen's apartment on 24 January and caught him in the middle of a transmission to Israel. Vigorous debate and reasoned critique are welcome; name-calling and personal invective are not and will be deleted. While we generally do not seek to edit or actively moderate comments, our spam filter prevents most links and certain key words from being posted and the Forward reserves the right to remove comments for any reason. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. The Forward welcomes reader comments in order to promote thoughtful discussion on issues of importance to the Jewish community. Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן‎‎, Arabic: إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين‎‎; 6 December 1924 – 18 May 1965), commonly known as Eli Cohen, was an Israeli spy. Netflix The Ba'athist coup and Eli Cohen's role. [7] He took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 1950s, although the Egyptian government could never prove his involvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews out of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility in Egypt. [10], The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking through the agency's files of rejected candidates, after none of the current candidates seemed suitable for the job. Peleg was happy about Cohen's theft of the camera bag, which was not part of the plan, but which helped the Isra… Cohen was then informed that the Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. Telling his wife he has a new job that requires extensive business travel, he takes up residence in Syria, where he befriends a high-ranking Syrian government official and provides … Young Israeli husband Eli Cohen is recruited by the Mossad in the early 1960's and sent to Syria. Before leaving, Cohen assured his wife it would be his last trip before he returned home permanently. 7. bs hanged Cohen, police, bystanders at edge of garden. The Times of Israel reported that the black-and-white video is in the Associated Press archives, but its publication on the Syrian Facebook page and subsequent media coverage in Israel brought the issue of Cohen’s death and the fate of his remains back into the Israeli public sphere. [25] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. [32], The Israeli settlement Eliad on the Golan Heights is named for him. According to the Times of Israel, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation published a report saying that Cohen’s remains could soon be returned to Israel by a Syrian rebel group, but then removed the story from its web site. His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. 3. mcu Cohen hanging with placards over his chest with ARABIC text. Eli Cohen is buried on a Syrian army post. [6], His parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, but he remained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities. The Israel Defense Forces was alleged to have used the trees as targeting markers during the Six-Day War, which enabled Israel to capture the Golan Heights in two days. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alternative to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was declared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. [12][13] In Buenos Aires he moved among the Arab community, letting it be known he had large amounts of money to put at the disposal of the Syrian Ba'ath Party. [27] Mossad director Yossi Cohen presented it to Cohen's family in a ceremony, and it is currently on display at Mossad headquarters. Fifty-four years after his death by hanging in Damascus, he still remains a revered figure in Israel. Cohen was discovered by Syrian intelligence 1965, and sentenced to death for espionage. All readers can browse the comments, and all Forward subscribers can add to the conversation. No film or video was previously known to exist of the execution. 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. Meir even appealed to the Soviet Union. 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 … Eli Cohen was a spy for four years before being exposed and later sentenced to death (Photo: Netflix) Is The Spy still available to watch … In the interest of maintaining a civil forum, The Forward requires that all commenters be appropriately respectful toward our writers, other commenters and the subjects of the articles. [18] He also learned of a secret plan to create three successive lines of bunkers and mortars; the Israel Defense Forces would otherwise have expected to encounter only a single line. Syrian counterintelligence eventually uncovered the spy conspiracy and convicted Cohen under pre-war martial law, sentencing him to death and hanging him publicly in 1965. He is best known for his espionage work in 1961–65 in Syria, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy,[1][2] and became the chief adviser to the Minister of Defense.[3]. From: Al Jazeera World Eli Cohen: Mossad Agent 88. [7], In January 1965, Syrian officials increased their efforts to find a high-level spy using Soviet-made tracking equipment and assisted by Soviet experts. Video footage that apparently shows the execution of Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria in 1965 has surfaced online, giving a fuller picture of … Eli Cohen was the man for the job. Nadia Cohen attempted to appeal for clemency at the Syrian Embassy in Paris but was turned away. In Israel, he was initially rejected by the Mossad and then later recruited to the Israeli intelligence unit. At these parties, Cohen "dispensed free-flowing liquor and prostitutes",[1] and highly placed officials would openly discuss their work and army plans. His graduate report stated that he had all the qualities needed to become a katsa, or field agent. I am begging you my dear Nadia not to spend your time in weeping about some thing already passed. Video footage that apparently shows the execution of Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria in 1965 has surfaced online, giving a fuller picture of the mystery-shrouded moments just before and after the secret agent’s death more than half a century ago. Israeli Spy Eli Cohen Was Hanged by Syria in 1965. [17], Cohen made repeated visits to the southern frontier zone, providing photographs and sketches of Syrian positions. Egregious commenters or repeat offenders will be banned from commenting. He had been repeatedly interrogated and tortured. 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. He studied at Cairo Farouk University. Sacha Baron Cohen in 'The Spy' as Eli Cohen. Ely Cohen, 88 U.S. Army veteran, educator and leader Ely Robert Cohen of Willowbrook, Staten Island, New York, a U.S. Army veteran and retired New York City Department of Education teacher and administrator, died May 24, 2020, at Staten Island University Hospital. Dr. Eli Cohen passed away peacefully in his home on May 1, 2018, surrounded by his wife and three children. "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." [15][16] 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. New video emerges of final moments when Israeli spy Eli Cohen … 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. [24], Monthir Maosily, the former bureau chief of Hafez Al-Assad, claimed in August 2008 that the Syrians had buried him three times to stop the remains from being taken back to Israel via a special operation. [5], In January 1947, Eli enlisted in the Egyptian Army as an alternative to paying the prescribed sum that all young Jews were obliged to pay, but he was declared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Receiving his primary education at a local Jewish community school, Eli nevertheless considered himself a patriot of Egypt, the country in … His work bored him and he attempted to join the Mossad, but he was offended when the Mossad rejected him, and he resigned from military counter-intelligence. Cohen wrote in his final letter on 15 May 1965:[7]. Spy: Eli Cohen died because of failure. Sacha Baron Cohen-led limited series “The Spy” — which comes out today on Netflix — tells the true story of how famed Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen … Eli Cohen was born into a family of eight in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt on December 6, 1924. [9], Syria refused to return Cohen's body to his family in Israel, and his wife Nadia sent a letter to Amin al-Hafiz in November 1965 asking his forgiveness for Cohen's actions and requesting his remains. In the interest of maintaining a civil forum, The Forward requires that all commenters be appropriately respectful toward our writers, other commenters and the subjects of the articles. 1. ms Cohen hanging from scaffold in public, Martyr's Square. Egregious commenters or repeat offenders will be banned from commenting. Later that year, he left university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brotherhood. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. Cohen was allowed to return to Israel to visit his wife and daughter, and he then met up with Peleg, giving him a status update. [28], Cohen has become a national hero in Israel, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named for him. They observed a period of radio silence, in the hope that any illegal transmissions could be identified. 6. ms tilt down obelisk in square, pan right to bystanders and scaffold with hanged Cohen. ", "Sacha Baron Cohen To Star As Eli Cohen in Netflix Limited Series 'The Spy, Cohen's widow asks for his remains to be returned, PM's speech at the ceremony marking 40 years since the death of Eli Cohen, Our man in Damascus: Eli Cohen of blessed memory, Exhibition in the IDF&defense establishment archives, Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 1), Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 2), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eli_Cohen&oldid=1008241615, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 February 2021, at 08:41. [9] The governments of Belgium, Canada, and France tried to persuade the Syrian government to commute the death sentence,[23] but the Syrians refused. In 1962 he moved to Syria via Argentina pretending to be a businessman named Kamel Amin Thaabet in order to gather intelligence for the Israeli army. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance, and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. His widow mentioned that the watch was up for sale months earlier, and the Mossad managed to capture it. It is in that mourning spirit that the concerned persons have taken to social media to share tributes to the deceased and … He was husband to Carole Cohen; brother to Narda Gabbay; father to Margalit Tocher, Roslyn Veilleux, and Benjamin Cohen; and grandfather to Kaiden, Julian and Penelope Tocher, Wren Veilleux, and Tzadok, Meir, Pelah, Naomi and Danya Cohen. Eli Cohen was an Israeli spy who operated an undercover mission in Syria, between 1961 and 1965. But Cohen's request was hardly an ordinary one and his brother Eli wasn't your average workaday guy, in death no less than in life. “Eli… Nadja Cohen said she had not heard from Israeli authorities regarding the issue. Vigorous debate and reasoned critique are welcome; name-calling and personal invective are not and will be deleted. With John Shea, Eli Wallach, Sasson Gabai, Michal Bat-Adam. [7][9], Israel staged an international campaign for clemency, hoping to persuade the Syrians not to execute him. 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. Contact Naomi Zeveloff at zeveloff@forward.com or on Twitter @naomizeveloff. [8], Israel's secret police recruited a sabotage unit of Jewish Egyptian citizens in 1955 which attempted to undermine Egypt's relationships with western powers in the "Lavon Affair". [4] His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. 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. All readers can browse the comments, and all Forward subscribers can add to the conversation. ", "Former Assad aide: Eli Cohen's burial site unknown],mm", "New footage emerges of Eli Cohen on the gallows", "Mossad Brings Home Watch of Israeli Spy Executed in Syria; Netanyahu Hails 'Brave' Op", "Watch of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen recovered by Mossad", "The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy", "Will Assad's Ouster Free Body of Israel Spy? [11][15], In 2016, a Syrian group calling itself "Syrian art treasures" posted a video on Facebook showing Cohen's body after his execution. Naomi Zeveloff is the former Middle East correspondent of the Forward, primarily covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories. [4], Cohen provided an extensive amount and wide range of intelligence data to the Israeli Army between 1961 and 1965. He emigrated to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! Egyptian authorities uncovered the spy ring and sentenced two of the members to death. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. A large crowd watches as Cohen’s body is placed in a coffin, moved to a truck and then driven away. Cohen's brothers Abraham and Maurice led a campaign to return his remains; Maurice died in 2006, and Nadia now leads it. The information he provided would be critical to Israel’s capture of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. Early Years. In Ynet interview, man who served as Israeli spy in Syria, Lebanon before legendary spy Eli Cohen calls for investigation committee to look into his death. Cohen was born in Alexandria to a devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. [14], Cohen moved to Damascus in February 1962 under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet (Arabic: كامل أمين ثابت‎). So humiliating was the Eli Cohen affair for Syria that to this day, 50 years later, no government in that country has been willing to consider returning his remains to Israel for burial.