Community Magazine August 2019

Golan Heights Strategy Until the spring of 1967, the Syrians controlled the strategic Golan Heights region, which overlooks much of Northern Israel. Eli learned that the Syrians were planning to reinforce their artillery and military fortifications in the Golan, in the area abutting Israel’s border. The drums of war were already beating. These were highly classified plans, known only to a select few officials at the very top of the government hierarchy. Cohen had built relationships with those very senior individuals, who freely discussed theseoperations with him. They even guided him on the southernmost frontier zone, where they took photographs of each other overlooking Israel. All the while, Cohen was taking notes, pictures, and sketches of military positions. He noted virtually every Syrian gun, troop, trench, and tank on the Golan Heights. He also learned of the Syrians’ plan to build bunkers and artillery three in a row, rather than the single line that Israel would have anticipated. In a brilliant chess move, Cohen advised the Syrian officials that a prolonged stay on the bare area of the Golan Heights might cause the Syrian infantryman sunstroke, and he suggested planting eucalyptus trees at crucial positions to provide shade. Another advantage of the trees would be to deceive the Israelis, who would not expect artillery near the trees. Of course, the precise opposite occurred. Israel’s eyes and ears in Syria secretly passed on this information, and several years later, during the Six day War of 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces knew exactly where the enemy forces were resting. This was one of the critical pieces of information that enabled Israel to capture the Golan Heights in about 48 hours, with few casualties. Eli Cohen’s crack spy work was a major factor in Israel’s dazzling victory that permanently established its status as a regional power. A Tragic End Eli’s extraordinary success may have led to his tragic downfall. After returning to Syria following his final visit to Israel in late 1964, his behavior changed. Some believe that he became reckless or sloppy in his transmissions to Israel, calling several times a day, almost always at the same time (8:30am), and for longer periods of time. Perhaps out of arrogance, a sense of invincibility, or an underestimation of Syrian intelligence, no one knows – it seems that he was no longer as careful as he ought to have been. The increasing number of secret plans that appeared to have been leaked set off red flags to the Syrians, and their Soviet allies were ready to help hunt down the mole. The Russians dispatched surveillance teams, armed with top-of-the-line intelligence devices to track down suspicious radio signals. They followed the transmission wave to Damascus, leading them straight to the source. While Eli Cohen was at home radioing to his handlers in Israel, Syrian police stormed in and arrested him. His cover was blown. The first month of 1965 was the last month Eli Cohen was a spy. His capture was led by the head of Syrian Intelligence, Colonel Ahmed Su’edani, who was known to have distrusted and disliked Cohen. Reports say that despite being tortured during barbaric interrogations, Cohen fearlessly stood his ground, refusing to divulge any secret information to the Syrians. After a show trial, with what was likely a foregone conclusion, he was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death. Just as Cohen saved Israel, Israel did its utmost to return the favor, calling upon the international community to persuade the Syrians not to execute Eli Cohen. Golda Meir, Israeli Foreign Minister at the time who later became Prime Minister, made every attempt to rally global allies, and even reached out to the Soviet Union to explain how Syria’s image on the world stage would suffer if Cohen were executed. Amazingly, foreign leaders, heads of state, and diplomats worldwide – including from France, Belgium, and Canada – lobbied to commute Cohen’s death sentence. Even Pope Paul IV made attempts to intervene. But the Syrians would not relent, and scheduled the execution for May 18, 1965, or 16 Iyar, 5725. Perhaps not coincidentally, this was the very day when, some 1,900 years earlier, the Romans broke through the walls of Jerusalem, just before ransacking the city. It also happened to be the date of the liberation of the Dachau death camp in 1945. The day he was to be hanged, Cohen placed a special request with the prison officials to meet with Rabbi NissimAndabo, the Chief Rabbi of Syria. Surprisingly, his request was granted, and the rabbi was allowed to escort Cohen to Damascus’ Marjeh Square, where Cohen was executed. Eli (Eliyahu Ben-Shaul) Cohen, 41, was left hanging in the public square for six hours. A True Hero Cohen is credited with saving countless Jewish lives, risking and then sacrificing his own life for the sake of his beloved nation and his beloved state. And he did it all right under the noses of the Syrians, using his smarts, charisma, and likeability to charm the Syrian upper echelon. The late Meir Amit, one of Israel’s top intelligence figures, once remarked that Cohen “succeeded far beyond the capabilities of most other men.” He will forever be remembered as a hero and a proud Jew to whom we all owe an enormous debt of gratitude. AV - ELUL 5779 AUGUST 2019 41