Mossad's most dangerous spy, who helped Israel defeat the combined Arab armies in just 6 days, increasing its territory more than 20 times. Mossad, the world's most dangerous intelligence agency, is relentless in pursuing its enemies and completing its missions. In the 1960s, when Syria began attacking Israel, Mossad started searching for a spy who could gather information from within Syria.
In this context, Eli Cohen emerged. Born in Egypt to a Jewish father and a Syrian mother, he moved to Argentina after Egypt and then to Israel. His father decided to stay in Israel, but Eli remained in Egypt for his studies. He completed his education and later took a course in espionage. Eli Cohen joined the Israeli intelligence service in 1960 and began his work. A year later, he was trained to spy in Syria and was sent there disguised as a businessman.
As a field agent, Eli's entire mission was to remain secret. He told his wife Nadia that he was going abroad to purchase furniture for the Ministry of Defense. Leaving Israel, Eli arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1961, where he was given a new identity: Kamel Amin Thabet. This new name became his identity. According to the plan, he built relationships with Syrian businessmen and the military attaché at the Syrian embassy, General Amin al-Hafiz. He told them how his parents, who came from Syria, had established a business in Argentina and that after their death, he wanted to return to Syria and invest all this money in its development. Overcoming many difficulties, he finally reached Syria.
Kamel Amin Thabet, who was engaged in export work, started his business in Damascus, the capital where the power was concentrated. Using money, Kamel Amin Thabet, aka Eli Cohen, began to attract the attention of influential people. He then expanded his relationships with military officers, befriending the nephew of a general. With his help, he reached the border, visiting places where Syria plotted against Israel.
Eli discovered many significant conspiracies. He informed Israel about Syria's plan to divert the waters of two rivers flowing into the Sea of Galilee, Israel's only water source. Israel swiftly destroyed this secret project in southern Syria with an airstrike.
From 1961 to 1965, Eli Cohen lived in Damascus, Syria, providing Mossad with the smallest details, including what weapons Syria possessed, where and when troops were deployed, and the routes used for infiltration. Eli Cohen even suggested planting eucalyptus trees on the Golan Heights, which Israel had captured. These trees gave Israel clues about where Syrian soldiers were stationed, aiding in successful attacks.
How he was caught and then hanged publicly:
In 1965, as Syria faced continuous setbacks due to the intelligence Eli Cohen provided to Israel, suspicion grew among the Syrian military chief. When transmissions were investigated, Eli Cohen was caught red-handed while communicating with Israel. Just before he could be appointed as Syria's defense minister by President Amin al-Hafiz, defense advisor Ahmed Suedani grew suspicious and, with Soviet help, used a tracking device to trace radio transmissions throughout Damascus. After a 2-3 day operation, Suedani succeeded in identifying Kamel Amin Thabet as the Israeli spy. A raid on Eli Cohen's house in April 1965 caught him transmitting a message.
After about a month of torture, on May 18, 1965, Eli Cohen was publicly hanged in Damascus's Marjeh Square. His body was left hanging for 8 hours, allowing people to throw shoes and sandals at it. Eli Cohen was executed in 1966 at a square in Damascus, with a banner around his neck stating, "From the Arab people in Syria." Israel made several attempts to retrieve his body, but Syria never returned it. Recently, Mossad discovered the watch Eli Cohen wore in Syria.
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