Israel from Syria received documents to which he waited sixty years

The Israeli State Intelligence Service Mosad is 18 May, on the 60th anniversary of the execution Elijah Cohen in Syria, revealed the most comprehensive collection of documents, sound recordings and personal items of this most famous agent. In the 1960s, Cohen infiltrated high Syrian political and military circles. The information obtained was crucial for Israeli military plans, and despite its immense success, it was captured and accused by the Syrian authorities in 1965, which finally paid for life.

In the statements of Mosada, they were assisted in the acquisition of the « Allied Foreign Intelligence Service », but did not reveal which. The press release stated that it contains almost 2500 pieces of material, including documentation from hearing in Syria, photos of Cohen’s operations and letters to his family in Israel.

Who was the Israeli « man from Damascus »

Eli Cohen was born in 1924 in Egypt to Jewish parents from Syria, and then immigrated to Israel in 1957, where he soon joined Mosad and initially worked as a translator. Between 1961 and 1965, he successfully penetrated the highest circles of Syrian political and military leadership under the guise of a successful Argentine businessman.

His greatest success is contacted with the leading members of the Baas party and even with General Syrian army, providing Israel outstanding strategic information, especially on Syrian defense plans on the Golan Plateau, writes Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

« In the role of an agent, Cohen provided Israel more than a hundred telegrams with key information on Syrian security forces, » he writes on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Cohen’s activity was interrupted in January 1965 when he was arrested by the Syrian Secret Service and condemned by espionage. Despite the Israeli diplomatic and international efforts, he was publicly hung in May 1965 in the Marje Square in Damascus, and to this day, the only agent whose death has publicly recognized the agency. After that, he became synonymous with spying around the world.

How did the Syrians discover it?

There is still no definitive answer to the question of how the Syrians have discovered Cohen’s true identity, but there are several theories.

One of them says that he had been watched carefully from the beginning, as the agent allegedly met a person who had been under the magnifying part of the Syrian intelligence for a long time.

Alternatively, Cohen has issued regular photography of strategic objects on the Golan Plateau while released as a tourist.

The third theory states that Cohen’s increasing dispatches became the target of advanced Syrian systems for intercepting messages, which were then supplied by East Germany and the Soviet Union. This theory was also backed by Mosada leader David Barneawhich is for Times of Israel According to the results of the survey conducted by the intelligence agency, it was probably that Cohen was found after intercepting his messages.

Hunting behind the Holy Grail

From Cohen’s execution onwards, Mosad has constantly tried to obtain the agent’s corpse and returned to Israel for a decent burial. Although they did not succeed, in 2018 the agency managed to acquire Cohen’s prestigious wristwatch, which he used for the guise of a wealthy businessman. The agency also wrote that she had « obtained the clock in a special mission, » and later denied Cohen’s wife Nadia. According to her, they bought an hour online from a foreigner in Syria.

Mosad is reportedly Haaretz Years ago, learned that after Cohen’s death, the Syrian secret service had kept an extensive file with its objects and information. It was a holy grail for the Israeli agency, but despite their efforts – they tried to bribe Syrian officials, among other things, they failed to get the dossier.

Also the Syrian government led by the now dismissed Bashar Al Assad She did not hear Israel’s requests, as she understood Cohen’s action as a shame of the country. Agent’s infiltration at the very top of Syrian politics has given Syrian pride a blow, the consequences of which are still felt today.

The new authority was representing a new opportunity

The turning point in the negotiations was the replacement of power in Damascus. After the overthrow of Bashar Al Asad, the authorities took over Ahmed al -Sharaknown as the commander of the rebel group and the current leader of Syria. As a Syrian leader, al -Shara, from the beginning, emphasized the importance of internal stability and good diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, including Israel.

Government Benjamin Netanyahu criticized his pacifist approach, and Mosad nevertheless contacted his official organizations with his officials, writes, writes Haaretz.

The Syrian leadership eventually approved the surrender of Cohen’s personal subjects to Israel « in order to alleviate Israeli hostility and demonstrate affection for the US president Donald Trump”Reports Reutersreferring to three unnamed sources.

The long -term efforts of Israel for the recovery of the spy legacy has now fallen on fertile ground when the Syrian government was replaced after sixty years, and negotiations for the return of the corpse continue to take place.