Israeli spy agency Mossad has brought the official archive on Eli Cohen, the legendary Mossad spy who operated in Syria before he was exposed, to Israel from Syria. As per statement by the Israeli PM’s office, thousands of findings that were held for decades by the Syrian security forces in a highly compartmentalized manner, were brought to Israel in a covert and complex Mossad operation. The statement added that the mission was completed in cooperation with an allied foreign intelligence service, without naming it.
The announcement comes on the 60th anniversary of Cohen’s execution in Damascus, on May 18, 1965.
The special archive includes approximately 2,500 original documents, photographs and personal items, most of which have been revealed for the first time. As per the PM’s office, this is the entirety of the Syrian archive on Eli Cohen.
The items recovered include handwritten letters from Cohen to his family, proof of communications between the Israeli spy and senior Syrian officials, and photos taken during his years spent undercover in Syria. Among the documents is the original will, written by Eli Cohen himself, hours before his execution, only a copy of which had been shown openly up until now.
At a special meeting held on Sunday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea, several original documents and personal items of Cohen were presented to Eli Cohen’s widow Nadia.
The materials were collected by Syrian intelligence after Cohen’s capture in January 1965. This include recordings and documentation from the files on Eli Cohen’s investigation and on those with whom he had been in contact, letters in his own handwriting to his family in Israel, photographs of his activity during his operational mission in Syria and personal objects that were taken from his home after his capture.
Some of the items included he keys to his apartment in Damascus, passports and false documentation he had used, and many photographs from the period of his covert activity in Syria. Also found among the many documents was the original sentence and the decision to execute him.
A file entitled ‘Nadia Cohen’ show that Syrian intelligence service reviewed all of Nadia Cohen’s efforts to secure her husband’s release from Syrian prison.
“Bringing this historic material to Israel was the result of a decades-long effort by Mossad intelligence, operations and technology operatives to locate every bit of information about Eli Cohen in an effort to shed light on his fate and place of burial,” said the statement by the PM’s office. It added that over the years, the Mossad has worked together with partners in the intelligence and security communities in Israel and around the world, and has carried out dozens of actions and operations, including in enemy countries.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “Eli Cohen was a legend. In the test of time, he has been revealed as the greatest intelligence agent in the annals of the state; his heroism and his activity contributed to our historic victory in the Six Day War. The Eli Cohen archive, which was brought in a special effort, will educate generations, and expresses the unwavering commitment to bring back home all of our missing, captives and hostages.”
Eli Cohen, the Egyptian-born Israeli spy, moved to Damascus in 1962, after posing as a Syrian businessman living in Argentina and befriending numerous contacts in the Syrian expatriate community in Argentina. From Damascus, he began to transmit information about Syrian military plans to Israel.
When the Syrian Ba’ath Party seized power in Syria, Cohen’s espionage activities saw a boost, as he was close to several top leaders of the party. He became so close to the government that he was even considered for the post of deputy minister of defence. His intelligence proved vital in Israel’s victory in the six-day war.
Eli Cohen was caught in January 1965 when Syrian counter-intelligence officials used Soviet-made equipment to detect radio communication. Observing complete radio silence, they successfully detected radio transmissions and were able to triangulate the transmitter used by Cohen. Syrian officials claimed they caught him when he was still transmitting to Syria.
Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. was publicly hanged in the Marjeh Square in Damascus on 18 May 1965, after Israel’s internation campaign for clemency was rejected by Syrian authorities.
Popular Netflix show The Spy is based on Eli Cohen’s activities as a Mossad spy.
