Recently, Israel launched a covert operation in Syria and successfully retrieved numerous items associated with the renowned spy Eli Cohen. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a collection of 2,500 artifacts from Syrian archives that pertain to Cohen, who once infiltrated high levels of Syrian politics. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Cohen’s execution in Damascus.
The materials returned to Israel include a variety of documents, recordings, photographs, and belongings amassed by the Syrian Intelligence Agency since his capture in January 1965. Among the items are handwritten letters to his family in Israel, images showcasing his missions in Syria, and personal possessions taken from his home.
The suitcase filled with these items contained a decorated folder of notes, keys from his Damascus apartment, passports, and fraudulent identification papers. It also included missions from the Mossad to investigate specific individuals and locations, as well as documents related to efforts by global leaders for his release from prison, along with mentions of his widow, Nadia Koen.
Eli Cohen’s achievements are considered pivotal for the Mossad, earning recognition for his intelligence work that played a significant role in Israel’s swift victory during the 1967 Middle East War. He built key relationships within Syria’s political and military elite in the early 1960s, ultimately becoming the chief advisor to Syria’s defense minister. In 1965, he transmitted valuable radio information to Israel before being captured, tried, and executed on May 18, 1965; his remains have yet to return to Israel.
In 2019, actor Sacha Baron Cohen portrayed a character based on Eli Cohen in a six-part Netflix series titled “The Spy.”
Netanyahu, addressing Nadia Cohen in Jerusalem, stated, “We conducted a special operation to bring back Eli Cohen’s archives, which have remained in the vaults of Syrian intelligence for six decades.” Before examining the recovered items, Nadia expressed her hope that the most crucial matter would be the return of Cohen’s body.
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel is actively working on locating Cohen’s remains. Notably, just last week, Israel managed to recover the bodies of Israeli soldiers missing for over 40 years after dying in a confrontation with Syrian forces in Lebanon in 1982.
He remarked, “Eli is a legend in Israel. He is undoubtedly one of the most significant agents in the history of our intelligence services. There was truly no one like him.”
