I rarely feature real people in my novels, but some characters are inspired by historical figures. Eli Cohen is one of them.
Who was Eli Cohen?
Not to be confused with the current Israeli energy minister of the same name, Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to a Syrian Jewish family that had emigrated from Aleppo in 1914. He studied at Cairo University and spoke fluent Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, and Spanish. For years, as a Zionist activist, he played a role in smuggling Egyptian Jews to Israel, allegedly taking part in a false flag operation known as the Lavon Affair.
After the Suez Crisis of 1956, he was expelled from Egypt and settled in Israel, where Cohen worked as a translator and accountant before being recruited by Mossad in 1960.
Trained in espionage, he was sent to Buenos Aires in 1961, posing as Kamel Amin Thabet, a wealthy Syrian businessman, and quickly gained the trust of senior Syrian officials, including future president Amin al-Hafiz.
After moving to Damascus in 1962, he quickly befriended Syrian military and political leaders. By infiltrating Syria’s elite circles, he gained access to military and political information of strategic importance.
Cohen was invited to attend military briefing meetings, visited fortifications in the Golan Heights, and passed on confidential information to Israel, including the location of Syrian military positions, details of the country’s defenses, and its plan to divert the sources of the Jordan River, which Israel was thus able to prevent.
His reports were instrumental in Israel’s victory during the Six-Day War in 1967. These were the specific contributions of Cohen’s intelligence work.
• Mapping Syrian defenses:
Cohen visited the Golan Heights disguised as a Syrian official. He documented bunkers, artillery positions, and fortifications, providing Israel with accurate maps of Syrian military positions.
• Revealing the defensive strategy:
Cohen discovered that Syria had planned three defensive lines, while Israel had only planned for one. This information allowed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare for fiercer resistance and modify their strategy more effectively.
• Landmarks with trees:
Cohen suggested that the Syrians plant trees near Syrian military outposts to create shade that would help soldiers endure the heat. During the war, the IDF used these trees as visual landmarks for artillery targeting, enabling rapid and accurate attacks.
• Photographs and sketches:
Cohen secretly took photos and drew sketches of Syrian positions, transmitting them to Israel. These visual records provided the IDF with valuable insight into the terrain and enemy defenses.
• Political information:
In addition to military details, Cohen’s close ties to Syrian leaders provided Israel with information about the political climate within the country and military decision-making, helping to anticipate moves before the war.
The impact of Cohen’s contribution is difficult to overstate. Israel captured the Golan Heights in just two days—a success largely attributed to his intelligence work. In addition, his reports reduced uncertainty, minimized Israeli casualties, and accelerated the campaign. Eli Cohen’s feat is remembered as one of the most successful espionage operations in Israel’s history. However, it had a tragic ending. In January 1965, Syrian counterintelligence intercepted his radio transmissions, leading to his arrest. He was tried and, despite pleas for clemency, was publicly executed in Damascus in May 1965.
Israel has long pressed for the return of Eli Cohen’s body, but to no avail. The exact location of his burial remains unknown, although it is believed to be in Syria.
Over the years, Syrian authorities have revealed that Cohen’s body has been moved several times to hinder Israeli attempts to recover it.
Nevertheless, in 2018, Mossad recovered his wristwatch from Syria, which is now on display at Mossad headquarters.
Attempts at returning Cohen’s body to Israel are still ongoing.
Loosely based on the following sources:
“The Spy Who Helped Win the Six-Day War”, https://www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/eli-cohen-the-spy-who-helped-win-the-six-day-war, June 5, 2023
“The Six Day War and Eli Cohen”, The Tomes of Israel, https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-six-day-war-and-eli-cohen, June 5, 2019
“Eli Cohen”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Cohen