Eli Cohen

Eli was a man who helped his people.

He grew up in a place called Egypt. He could talk in many ways. Later, he went to a new land. He lived there under a fake name.

He met many important people. He told his home secret things. This helped his people stay safe. But one day, the leaders found him. They caught him for his work. Something very sad happened to him.

People still honor him today.

Eli Cohen was a spy for Israel.

He was born in Egypt to a Jewish family. He could speak five languages. This helped him talk to many people.

In 1961, he began a secret job in Syria. He used a fake name. He acted like a rich businessman.

He moved to the city of Damascus. He became friends with top Syrian leaders. He even held parties at his home.

At these parties, people talked about army plans. Eli listened and sent secrets back to Israel. He sent info by radio and letters. He even sent photos of the Golan Heights. This helped the Israeli army later.

But his work was very risky. In 1965, Syrian officials caught him. They used special tools to find his radio signals. They found him in his apartment. Syria sentenced him to death. He was executed in May 1965.

Many people tried to help him, but they could not. Today, many streets in Israel are named for him.

Eli Cohen was a famous spy for Israel.

He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1924. His family was Jewish and came from Syria. Eli was very smart and learned five languages. He spoke Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, and Spanish. These skills helped him talk to many different people. He studied at Cairo University before starting his career.

In 1961, Eli began a very secret job in Syria. He used the fake name Kamel Amin Thabet. He pretended to be a rich businessman from Argentina. He moved to the city of Damascus to start this plan. He lived in a neighborhood called Abu Rummaneh. This area was near many important government buildings. He wanted people to trust him so he could learn their secrets.

Eli worked hard to make friends with powerful people. He held big parties at his home in Damascus. He gave people food and drinks to make them feel relaxed. During these parties, leaders talked about important army plans. Eli listened closely and sent this information back to Israel. He used radios and secret letters to share what he knew.

One famous thing he did was share details about the Golan Heights.

His work became very dangerous as time went on. In 1964, Eli told his bosses that he felt unsafe. However, he went back to Syria one last time. In 1965, Syrian officials used special tools to find his radio signals. They caught him in his apartment while he was sending a message. A military court found him guilty of spying. Syria sentenced him to death, and he was executed in May 1965.

Many people around the world tried to help Eli. Leaders from different countries even asked Syria to be kind. Sadly, the Syrian government would not change its mind. Even today, people remember Eli Cohen for his bravery. Many streets and roads in Israel are named after him. His family still works to learn more about his life. In 2025, many of his personal items were finally found.

Eli Cohen was a highly significant Israeli intelligence officer. He is best known for his deep undercover work in Syria between 1961 and 1965. During this period, he successfully infiltrated the highest levels of the Syrian political and military hierarchy. His actions provided critical intelligence that shaped the security of the State of Israel. Today, he is remembered as a hero, with many streets and roads named in his honor.

Cohen's intelligence work relied on a complex process of social engineering and false identities. To begin his mission, he adopted the alias Kamel Amin Thabet. He pretended to be a wealthy Syrian businessman returning to his homeland from Argentina. He first established this cover in Buenos Aires by interacting with the local Arab community. He made sure people knew he had significant funds available for the Syrian Ba'ath Party. This helped build his reputation as a person of influence and wealth.

In February 1962, Cohen moved to Damascus to begin his active espionage. He lived in the Abu Rummaneh neighborhood, which was strategically located near government buildings. This area included the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Cohen used several methods to gather information from the Syrian elite. He hosted large social gatherings at his home for ministers and businessmen. During these parties, he would often pretend to be intoxicated to encourage guests to speak freely. He also lent money to government officials to build trust and gain access to their advice.

His intelligence gathering was diverse and highly detailed. Cohen provided a wide range of data to the Israeli Army for four years. He transmitted this information using radio signals, secret letters, and occasional in-person meetings. One of his most vital achievements involved the Golan Heights. He collected photographs and sketches of Syrian military fortifications in that region. There is even an unconfirmed story that he suggested planting trees to provide shade for soldiers. It is alleged that the Israeli military later used these specific trees as targeting markers during the Six-Day War.

Beyond military positions, Cohen uncovered specific strategic plans. He discovered that Syria intended to build three successive lines of bunkers and mortars. This was critical because Israeli forces had previously expected only a single line. He also learned about a plan to divert the headwaters of the Jordan River. This plan aimed to reduce water resources available to Israel. Because of Cohen's intelligence, Israeli forces were able to destroy the equipment prepared for this task during the "War over Water."

Despite his success, the mission became increasingly perilous. In 1964, Cohen expressed a sense of impending danger to the Mossad. He requested to end his assignment, but he was asked to return to Syria one final time. In January 1965, Syrian intelligence began using Soviet-made tracking equipment to find a spy. They observed a period of radio silence to identify illegal transmissions. Eventually, they successfully used triangulation to locate a signal. On January 24, Syrian security services broke into his apartment and caught him during a transmission.

Following his capture, Cohen faced a military tribunal under martial law. He was convicted of espionage and sentenced to death. An international campaign for clemency was launched to save him. Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir led this effort, appealing to the Soviet Union. Leaders from Belgium, Canada, and France also tried to intervene. Even Pope Paul VI attempted to help. Despite these many efforts, the Syrian government refused to commute the sentence. Cohen was publicly hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus on May 18, 1965.

After his death, the struggle for his legacy continued. Syria refused to return his remains to his family in Israel. His widow, Nadia, has spent years leading a campaign to bring him home. In recent years, more pieces of his history have emerged. In 2018, Mossad successfully retrieved his wristwatch from Syria. Most recently, on May 18, 2025, a covert operation retrieved approximately 2,500 documents and personal items. This collection includes his original will, handwritten letters, and photographs from his time undercover.