Famous Jew in History: Eli Cohen (1924-1965)
- Dec 18, 2025
- 1 min read
Eli Cohen was one of Israel’s most important spies. Born in Egypt in 1924, he later moved to Israel and joined the Mossad. Under the identity “Kamel Amin Thaabet,” he lived in Syria and built close ties with senior military and government leaders.
His reports gave Israel detailed information about Syrian plans and defences on the Golan Heights. This intelligence saved lives and shaped Israel’s strategy before the Six-Day War.
Cohen was exposed and executed in Damascus in 1965. Syria has never returned his body, and Israel continues to push for the repatriation of his remains.
In 2025, Israel secured more than 2,500 of his personal documents and items from abroad. These materials, now preserved in Israel, offer rare insight into his work and keep his memory alive while the search for his remains continues.