In Damascus, he posed as Kamal Amin Thaabet - an affluent, well-connected figure who gained access to Syria's political and military elite. In reality, he was Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy working to undermine the country from within as part of Israel's broader campaign against its Arab neighbours.
Sixty years after his public execution in the Syrian capital, Israel has revealed it has retrieved more than 2,500 classified documents and personal items linked to Cohen's espionage activities.
The items, obtained through a secret operation from Syrian intelligence archives, include forged passports, handwritten letters, keys to his Damascus apartment, and internal communications. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the materials this week to Cohen's widow, Nadia.
Who was Eli Cohen?
Eli Cohen, born in 1924 in Alexandria to Syrian Jewish parents, was fluent in Arabic, French, and English, which was seen as a perfect linguistic triad for espionage.
Expelled from Egypt after the Suez Crisis, he moved to Israel in 1957. His transition from government translator to one of Mossad’s most celebrated operatives began shortly after.
In 1960, Cohen adopted the identity of Thaabet, a Syrian businessman based in Buenos Aires, where he befriended influential Syrian expatriates, connections that later opened doors in Damascus.
By 1962, Cohen was embedded in Syria's capital, making deep sources with military and political elites. His rapport was so trusted that some considered him for senior government positions, including deputy defence minister.
Cohen's most significant contributions came during this period. Between 1961 and 1965, he transmitted critical intelligence back to Israel, including details about Syrian fortifications in the Golan Heights, territory Israel would later illegally seize during the 1967 Six-Day War.
But his success came with risk. Ignoring warnings from Mossad, Cohen began sending radio messages too frequently. Syrian counterintelligence, aided by Soviet advisors, eventually traced and arrested him in January 1965.
His trial was swift and highly publicised. On May 18, he was executed in Marjeh Square, and his body left hanging as a warning.