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Cohen, Eli (1924-1965)
 The next
time you are in Jerusalem or in almost any other city in Israel, you may
walk down Eli Cohen Street. Anyone there will tell you about the heroic
person after whom the street is named.
As a boy in Egypt, Eli Cohen was active in many Zionist organizations.
When he was 33 years old he settled in Israel, where he soon began to
train as a spy for the Israel Intelligence. In the 1960s he was sent to
Syria where his knowledge of the Arabic language and customs helped him
to disguise himself as a rich Syrian citizen. Little did his family in
Israel, or his neighbors in Damascus, know that he was an Israel spy.
He befriended senior government officials, soon learning many government
secrets.
He began his own radio program on Syrian radio and became well-known
throughout the entire nation. He was even taken on tours of the Syrian-Israel
border and shown many Syrian strongholds. All of this information, which
he radioed back to the Israel Intelligence Service, helped Israel greatly
in defending herself against her enemies' plans. After several years of
brilliant service, he was discovered by accident and sentenced to be hanged.
Appeals for mercy from government and religious leaders the world over
were in vain. In 1965 thousands of people viewed his public hanging on
television. Those in Arab nations cheered, while those in Israel mourned
the loss of a brave man who had certainly given his life on behalf of
his country.
More on Eli
Cohen
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by C.D.I. Systems 1992 (LTD) and Keter.
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