60 Years After Execution: Mossad Recovers Eli Cohen Archive from Syria

In a secret and complex operation, the Mossad and the Strategic Intelligence Service have recovered the official Syrian archive on Eli Cohen, a Mossad agent who was publicly executed at Marjeh Square in Damascus on May 18th, 1965.

The operation was conducted adjacent to the 60th anniversary of Cohen's execution and is seen as one of the most sensitive operations to have been conducted in recent years. The objects were recovered after decades of being held by Syrian security forces under strict secrecy.

In a meeting on Sunday, May 18, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea, original items from the archive were presented to Eli's widow, Nadia Cohen. Among the items was Cohen's original will, written hours before his death, as well as personal belongings that were seized from his home following his arrest.

The archive included 2,500 items, including documents, recordings, photos, personal letters, and journals. Many of the items were revealed to the public for the first time and constitute a detailed account of Cohen's activities and his interrogation by Syrian intelligence.

Among the items are the keys to Cohen's apartment in Damascus, forged identification documents which he used, and many photos from the time of his intelligence activities, including documentation of him with senior Syrian military and government officials. Journals that were taken from his home include documentation of his Mossad tasks, including surveillance and the collection of intelligence on Syrian military bases. (INN/VFI News)