Syrian paradox. The archive of the spy of the century is already in the hands of his Israeli widow
It is supposed to be a gesture of the Syrian government.
The article was originally published on Aktualně.cz
It is one of the most fascinating stories in the history of spying. Israeli Eli Kohen penetrated among the Syrian elite in the 1960s, became an advisor to the Minister of Defense and handed over Tel Aviv information to invaluable value.
Then they revealed him, tortured and executed.
After 60 years, the archive of Eli Kohen came from the hands of Syrian spies to his widow nadi. Is supposed to be a gesture of good will of the Syrian government toward Israel.
« I beg you, Naďa to forgive me and take care of yourself and the kids. Take care of their education. Do not deny yourself or them and keep in touch with my family
You can take someone else to keep the kids out of the way without a father. You have complete freedom to do this and please don’t waste your time crying over what was, but always think of the future.
Don’t forget to pray for me and your father’s soul. «
Eli Kohen wrote these farewell words a few hours before his execution.
Now his letter finally got to his 84 -year -old widow Nadi – along with other documents from Kohen’s archive, it was personally handed over to her last week by the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kohen’s life story tragically culminated on 18 May 1965 in Damascus.
On the martyrs’ square there is a wooden structure to which an escort brings a proven man with a mustache. The Damascan elite knew him as Kamal Amína Sabeta – a rich and influential man. His real name is now publicly revealed: Eli Kohen.
After the last prayer in the presence of the rabbi, he will hang it. A long list of « crimes against the Syrian people » fluctuates on his chest.
The Syrians had something to hurry for. Kohen who was born in Egypt And he spoke perfectly Arabic, in Damascus he settled in 1961 as a rich Arab trader, originally from a number of Syrian diaspora in South America. He built his covering legend thoroughly.
Already in Argentina he met the Syrian military attachment amin al-Háfiz, who after the military coup in 1963 President (not for a long time, only until the coup in 1966, followed by another one in 1970 brought to power Hafiz al-Assad, father of recently overthrown President Bashar Assada).
Thanks to his charm, generosity (he lent money to many Syrian politicians and officers) and intelligence quickly became a confidant of the highest military and political leaders.
And he got to strict secret information – his army friends even took him to visit military stations at the Golan Heights, where thanks to his phenomenal memory he remembered everything – plans of Syrian fortifications, deployment of minefields and anti -aircraft defense.
And all of this was sent from Damascus by radiodepes to Tel Aviv.
His reports allowed the Israelis to break the Syrian defense in 1967 in 1967 and occupy strategically important Golan heights for themselves.
Kohen seems to have become fatal too frequent broadcasting. The Syrian secret service with the help of the latest Soviet technology finally located a suspicious radio in Kohen’s apartment in the neighborhood of Abou Roummaneh, a prestigious part of the metropolis. His apartment, where high officers, politicians and businessmen went to renowned parties, was directly opposite the headquarters of the Syrian Army General Staff.
Kohen’s parties were legendary and unusual on the situation of the Islamic country – alcohol flowed on them and the entertainment of high -ranking guests were stained by luxury prostitutes.
In the relaxed atmosphere, the guests lost barriers and Kohen, who almost did not drink and just pretended, usually remembered everything.
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His interrogations were brutal. The moon was exposed to constant strong light, slept on the concrete floor and beat him hard during the interrogations.
The Syrians forced him to broadcast further as a double agent, but he managed to broadcast an agreed signal that Mosad warned that he was working under pressure.
According to the information available, it seems that despite hard interrogations Kohen did not reveal more than he had to. He managed to keep complete information about Israeli spy operations in the region and some key collaborators of Mosad.
He then behaved calmly and balanced in court, apparently reconciled to fate.
Eli Kohen was only half a year with his wife. Then he went to Syria and executed him there. During his stay in Syria he got to Israel only three times. Last time on the occasion of their third child’s birth.
At that time, Kohen warned his superiors that his stay was becoming increasingly risky. However, he succumbed to the plea to return once more – to the last tour that became fatal to him.
Now the new Syrian government sent 2,500 documents to Eli Kohen to Israel last week, perceived in Israel as a national hero.
The new Syrian president is the son of parents who fled the Israelis after a six -day war from the Golan heights, to whom Kohen helped his information.
