May 18, 1965
Syria Hangs Eli Cohen
Historical context
On this day, May 18, 1965, Syrian authorities hanged Eli Cohen in Damascus. He had been convicted of spying for Israel.
Archive record
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- Date
- May 18, 1965
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 5
On this day, Syrian authorities hanged Eli Cohen in a Damascus square after a military trial. Born in Egypt in 1924 and later recruited by Israeli intelligence, he had lived in Argentina and then Damascus as Kamal Amin Thabet and reported on Syrian military matters, including in the Golan.
He was arrested in January 1965 after his radio transmissions were located. Israel sought clemency; Levi Eshkol was prime minister. His body was not returned.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Syria Hangs Eli Cohen; Israel Declares Day of Mourning · Jewish Telegraphic Agency · Jewish Telegraphic Agency (1965-05-19) View source
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