--- title: "The hilarious way an Israeli spy convinced Syria to help Israel" description: "Eli Cohen worked for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, while getting close to the highest levels of Israel's sworn enemy. " date: "2020-02-05" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/israeli-spy-eli-cohen/" categories: - "History" tags: - "Israel" - "Military History" - "Spies" --- # The hilarious way an Israeli spy convinced Syria to help Israel ![Eli cohen]() There's nothing funny about the tragic way Eli Cohen's life ended. Shortly after returning from Israel to see the birth of his third child, he was caught in the act of transmitting intelligence by radio from his apartment in Syria. His life as a spy put him at constant risk of discovery and execution. He was hanged in May 1965, but before he was caught, Cohen changed the game for the IDF in the Middle East. He did it by convincing Syria that its troops were too hot. --- For four years, Eli Cohen sent valuable intelligence to Israel, either via radio from his Damascus apartment, by letter, or in person on flights to Israel routed through European capitals. Considered a master spy, the Egyptian-born Jewish agent who came to Syria as a businessman from Argentina soon became the chief advisor to Syria's Defense Minister. In Syria, Cohen was known as Kamel Amin Thaabet, a successful businessman who hosted lavish parties (which often devolved into orgies) and allowed his high-ranking Syrian military friends to use his apartment for trysts with their mistresses. Had he not been caught, he might even have been considered to fill a post [as a Deputy Minister of Defense](). ![eli cohen]() *Eli Cohen (in the middle) with his friends from the Syrian army at the Golan Heights overlooking Israel. Civilians were not allowed to the Golan Heights since it had been a heavily guarded military area.* One of his greatest achievements as an "advisor" came on a trip to the Golan Heights. He convinced the Syrian military that the troops there were too hot and tired. He told them the soldiers would benefit from the shade of trees, a welcome respite from the oppressive Syrian sun. In doing so, he had the trees planted at specific locations — locations [used as targeting markers for the Israeli Defense Forces](). Cohen also made extensive notes and took photos of all the Syrian defensive positions and sent them back to his handlers in Tel Aviv. Sadly, Syria's military intelligence apparatus was onto a mole in the Syrian military and was on the lookout for spies. Cohen was caught while radioing to Tel Aviv during a Syrian radio blackout. He was tried and executed, and his remains were never returned to Israel. ![eli cohen]() *Eli Cohen on trial in Syria.* But his work lived on. In 1967, two years after Cohen was hanged, Israel launched a massive pre-emptive strike on Egypt, capturing the Gaza Strip and destroying Egypt's air forces on the ground. Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser convinced Syria and Jordan to join the fight against Israel. When Syria did, Israel pounced on the Golan Heights using the information (and the trees) provided by Eli Cohen. They captured the Golan Heights in two days and have held it ever since. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()