On This Day in Jewish History:

May 18th, 1965.

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Nadia sheli,

I’m not sure you’ll ever read this letter and my hand can barely move from the pain of torture, but I want you to know how much I love you and the children.

Nadia, I’m sorry I could never tell you the truth, but it was for yours and the children’s safety.

Today may be my last day and if you never get to see my body, please know that I will die thinking of you.

The work I did here was unlike anything I ever thought I was capable of…

I am hopeful that it was not all for naught…. Kamel Amin Thabeet will be a name we remember, if not here, in Israel?

Hey, maybe one day I’ll be played in a docu-series by a hilarious turned serious Jewish actor…

Anyway… give the kids a kiss goodnight for me, my hand can no longer move.

-Eli.

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On this day, iconic Israeli spy: Eli Cohen aka Kamel Amin Thabeet, was executed by the Syrian government after 4 years of deep undercover work that saw him rise to the highest levels of power in Syria. The letter above is (evidently) a characterization of what (most of) Eli’s final letter to his wife, Nadia, may have looked like. . .

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Click the link in bio to watch a short video explaining Eli’s massive significance + as referenced earlier, if you’re a Netflix guy or gal, check out “The Spy” on Netflix to see Sasha Baron Cohen play Eli in a 5 episode docu-series. . .