Community Magazine August 2019

SALUTING ELI COHEN, An Israeli Hero – Part 2 DAVE GORDON Acontinuationoflastmonth’sin-depthlookinto oneof themost fascinatingfigures inthehistory of the modern State of Israel – “superspy” Eli Cohen, who succeeded in infiltrating the upper echelons of the Syrian government during one of the most critical periods in the Jewish State’s early years. K amal Amin Ta’abet, a Lebanese national, was the diplomat equivalent of a rock star. Well-known, well-liked, suave and savvy, he gained the trust of the “who’s who” among high-ranking Syrian officials and their elite compatriots, including George Saif, one of the brass at the Ministry of Information. Kamal broke into the inner circle through his lavish parties, shrewdness, affable personality, and reputation for being a colorfully entertaining entrepreneur with deep pockets. Of course, this was all a façade. Kamal Amin Ta’abet was actually Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy who brilliantly masqueraded his way into the upper echelons of the Syrian government. An Egyptian-born Jew trained to speak a perfect Syrian-Arabic, Cohen passed vitally important state secrets from Egypt, Argentina and Syria back home to Israel, helping the young Jewish State survive despite the vicious hostility of her neighbors. Saving the Water The early 1960s was an especially turbulent time in the Middle East, as resentment towards Israel boiled over following the sting of the Arabs’ defeat, and loss of land, in two wars. Like in most Arab states, anti-Semitism was a source of pride for Syria, determined to destroying the Jewish State by any means necessary. Regular arms shipments from the Soviet Union prepared Syria for what it had hoped would be the war that would once and for all rid the world of the State of Israel. As the Arab states sought tomobilize for amilitary campaign against Israel, Syria simultaneously concocted a plan to inflict maximum suffering without firing a single bullet. An insidious and secret plot was being hatched to divert the Jordan River, thereby starving Israel of water. By 1963, just as the Ba’ath Party took power, this plan was in full swing. Corralling hydraulic engineers and machinery, Syria and neighboring Arab states collaborated to create a grave water crisis for Israel, threatening its citizenry. Cohen was tipped off about the scheme by two “friends” – high ranking army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali. He somehow got his hands on engineering blueprints, maps and diagrams, and passed the information along to Israel. With each piece of the puzzle, with each new update, he’d apprise his home country of precisely where and what was being schemed. This was, of course, a delicate operation, utilizing various forms of intelligence gathering and transmission in order not to arouse suspicion. These included clandestine radio transmissions, coded letters, and even sneaking away to Israel from time to time when he decided he needed to transfer information in person. Danger lurked at every turn. By 1964, a long line of sophisticated trenches had already been dug, forming a long channel to divert precious water that was heading for Israel into Jordanian territory. There was no “rewind button” – as soon as the last piece of earth was moved, the water would flow with little to stop it. Armed with Cohen’s dossier, which disclosed all the information, the Israeli Air Force flew over Syrian airspace to bomb machinery, bulldozers, and other equipment. With Gd’s help, the Jewish State was fortunate to have a man on the inside, Eli Cohen, who saved the country from horrifying drought. If Eli Cohen had been sent only to save Israel from this plot – dayenu (it would have been enough). But there was much more work for him to do. 40 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE