Eli Cohen אֱלִיָּ כֹּהֵן | |
|---|---|
 Cohen in 1959 | |
| Born | Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen 6 December 1924 Alexandria, Egypt |
| Died | 18 May 1965 (aged 40) Damascus, Syria |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Spouse |
Nadia Majald (m. 1959) |
| Children | 3 |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Agency | Mossad |
| Service years | 1961–1965 |
| Alias | Kamel Amin Thabet (كامل أمين ثابت) |
Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן, Arabic: إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين; 6 December 1924 – 18 May 1965) was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. He is best known for his espionage work in Syria between 1961 and 1965, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy.[1][2][3]
Though he was initially successful, his activity became increasingly risky and he expressed a sense of impending danger to Mossad in 1964. A year later, Cohen's true allegiance was uncovered by Syrian intelligence and he was convicted by the Syrian government under pre-war martial law. After being sentenced to death, he was publicly hanged in Damascus in May 1965. The incident contributed to the sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Syria just before the 1967 Arab–Israeli War.
He is highly regarded in Israel, with several streets and roads being named after him.
- ^ Bergman, Ronen (5 July 2018). "Israel's Secret Operation to Recover the Watch of a Legendary Spy". The New York Times.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
blackAndmorriswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Ahronheim, Anna (15 April 2019). "Rumors fly that body of legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen was found". The Jerusalem Post.