Eli Cohen

Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן‎; Arabic: إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين‎; 26 December 1924 – 18 May 1965) was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. He is best known for his espionage work in Syria between 1961 and 1965, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy.

Though he was initially successful, Cohen's activity became increasingly risky and he expressed a sense of impending danger to Mossad in 1964. A year later, his true allegiance was uncovered by Syrian intelligence and he was convicted by the Syrian government under pre-war martial law. After being sentenced to death, he was publicly hanged in Damascus in May 1965. The incident contributed to the sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Syria just before the 1967 Arab–Israeli War.

Cohen is highly regarded in Israel, with several streets and roads being named after him.

Early life

Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Syrian-Jewish family. His father had immigrated from Aleppo in the Ottoman Empire in 1914. Deeply committed to Judaism, Cohen had planned in his youth to become a rabbi with guidance from Alexandria's Chief Rabbi Moise Ventura (1893–1978), but the city's yeshiva soon closed down, prompting him to pursue higher education at Cairo University. A staunch Zionist, he helped Israel evacuate the Egyptian Jewish community by assisting Israeli intelligence throughout Egypt. He was also fluent in five languages: Arabic, Hebrew, English, French, and Spanish.