Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924.

His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enl
ist in the Egyptian Army as an alternative to paying the prescribed sum all youn
g Jews were supposed to pay, but was declared ineligible on grounds of questiona
ble loyalty. Later that year, he left university and began studying at home afte
r facing harassment by the Muslim Brotherhood. In the years following the creati
on of Israel, many Jewish families left Egypt. Though his parents and three brot
hers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen remained to finish a degree in electronics a
nd to coordinate Jewish and Zionist activities. In 1951, following a military co
up, an anti-Zionist campaign was initiated, and Cohen was arrested and interroga
ted over his Zionist activities.[2] Cohen took part in various Israeli covert op
erations in the country during the 1950s, though the Egyptian government could n
ever verify and provide proof of his involvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli
operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews out of the country and resettle them in Isra
el due to increasing hostility there.[citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected caEli Cohen was born in Alexandria to a
devout Jewish and Zionist family in 1924. His father had moved there from Aleppo
in 1914. In January 1947, he chose to enlist in the Egyptian Army as an alterna
tive to paying the prescribed sum all young Jews were supposed to pay, but was d
eclared ineligible on grounds of questionable loyalty. Later that year, he left
university and began studying at home after facing harassment by the Muslim Brot
herhood. In the years following the creation of Israel, many Jewish families lef
t Egypt. Though his parents and three brothers left for Israel in 1949, Cohen re
mained to finish a degree in electronics and to coordinate Jewish and Zionist ac
tivities. In 1951, following a military coup, an anti-Zionist campaign was initi
ated, and Cohen was arrested and interrogated over his Zionist activities.[2] Co
hen took part in various Israeli covert operations in the country during the 195
0s, though the Egyptian government could never verify and provide proof of his i
nvolvement in Operation Goshen, an Israeli operation to smuggle Egyptian Jews ou
t of the country and resettle them in Israel due to increasing hostility there.[
citation needed]
In 1955, a sabotage unit, made of Jewish Egyptian citizens and recruited by Isra
el's secret police, operated against their native Egypt and attempted to destroy
Egyptian relationships with western powers. The unit bombed American and Britis
h installations expecting that this would be considered the work of Egyptians. T
his event is referred to as the "Lavon Affair." Egyptian authorities uncovered t
he spy ring and after a trial, two of the group's members received the death pen
alty. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but no link between Cohen and
the accused could be found.[2]
Following the Suez Crisis, the Egyptian government stepped up persecution of Jew
s and expelled many of them. In December 1956, Cohen was forced to leave the cou
ntry. With the assistance of the Jewish Agency, he emigrated to Israel, arriving
in the Israeli port of Haifa in a vessel travelling from Naples, Italy.[2][3]
In 1957, Cohen was recruited by the Israel Defense Forces, and was placed in mil
itary intelligence, where he became a counterintelligence analyst. His work bore
d him, and he attempted to join the Mossad. Cohen was offended when Mossad rejec
ted him, and resigned from military counterintelligence. For the next two years,
he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office, and married Nadia M
ajald, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant, in 1959. They had three children, Sophie, Irit
and Shai,[4] and the family eventually settled in Bat Yam.
The Mossad recruited Cohen after Director-General Meir Amit, looking for a speci
al agent to infiltrate the Syrian government, came across his name while looking
through the agency's files of rejected ca