Israel Recovers Lost Archive of Spy Eli Cohen, Executed in Syria in 1965

Israeli officials have recovered numerous artifacts linked to the nation’s foremost spy following a clandestine mission in Syria.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed part of the 2,500 materials from the Syrian archives concerning Eli Cohen, an agent for the national intelligence service Mossad who penetrated the upper ranks of politics in the adjacent nation.

This past Sunday commemorated 60 years since his execution took place in Damascus' square.

Items recently smuggled into Israel consist of documents, audio recordings, pictures, and belongings seized by Syrian intelligence following his arrest in January 1965. These also encompass handwritten letters he sent to his relatives in Israel, images documenting his activities during an operation in Syria, as well as personal possessions retrieved from his residence post-capture.

Bags containing belongings sent to Israel held folders brimming with scribbled notes, keys to an apartment in Damascus, travel papers, counterfeit identity cards, directives from Mossad to keep tabs on particular individuals and locations, along with records detailing all the endeavors undertaken by his wife, Nadia Cohen, imploring global dignitaries for his liberation from jail.

Cohen's success in Syria was one of the Mossad spy agency's first significant achievements, and the top-secret intelligence he obtained is widely credited with helping Israel prepare for its swift victory in the 1967 Middle East War.

In the early 1960s, Cohen succeeded in building strong connections with key figures in the political and military leadership of Israel’s foremost adversary. He eventually climbed his way up to serve as a senior advisor to the Syrian defense minister.

In 1965, Cohen was apprehended for transmitting information to Israel via radio. He was subsequently convicted and executed in a public square in Damascus on May 18, 1965.

Whereabouts of Cohen's body still a mystery

His body has not yet been brought back to Israel, where he is considered a national hero.

In 2019, actor Sacha Baron Cohen (who isn’t related) took on the role of Eli Cohen in a six-part Netflix show titled "The Spy."

Netanyahu stated in Jerusalem that they carried out a specific mission via the Mossad and the State of Israel to retrieve the archives belonging to Eli Cohen, which had been stored in the vaults of Syrian intelligence for six decades.

Before examining the artifacts, Cohen's widow Nadia informed Netanyahu that the crucial matter was repatriating her husband's remains to Israel.

Netanyahu stated that Israel continued their efforts to locate his remains.

"Eli is an Israeli icon. He stands as the finest operative in the annals of Israeli intelligence since the founding of the nation. No one compares to him," stated Netanyahu.

On Friday, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that high-ranking officials from Syria’s newly formed interim administration allegedly proposed returning Cohen’s remains to Israel during peace negotiations in Tel Aviv.

In March, Syria’s transitional government took office, roughly four months following a rapid rebel advance in December that pushed longtime leader Bashar al-Assad out of the country, leading him to seek refuge in Moscow.

Following this, interim President and ex-rebel chief Ahmed al-Sharaa has worked towards restoring relationships with neighbouring nations as well as Western entities like the United States and European Union. His objective is to lift the harsh economic sanctions imposed on Syria under the rule of al-Assad.