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The Legacy of Eli Cohen — and Implications for Israel-Syria Relations Today
Venerated Israeli spy Eli Cohen.
In the aftermath of President Trump’s meeting with Syria’s President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, as of this writing, there are rumors of the imminent return of Israeli hero Eli Cohen’s remains — close to the day of his execution 60 years ago.
The story of Eli Cohen’s life deserves to be remembered — even if he had never gone undercover in Syria.
When Eli Cohen was publicly executed by the Syrian government on May 18, 1965, it was already clear to both Israelis and Syrians that he had succeeded in befriending the Syrian president and had penetrated the highest levels of the Syrian regime. What was not yet known, however, was that he had gathered the intelligence that would later help save the State of Israel from destruction.
Perhaps more than any other individual, Eli Cohen — an Egyptian-born Jew — earned the Mossad its reputation as one of the world’s most formidable intelligence services. His work paved the way for Israel’s success on the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War in June 1967.
As a young man in Cairo, Cohen was deeply moved by the 1944 trial of two members of the Stern Group (LEHI), Eliahu Bet-Zouri and Eliahu Hakim. These two had assassinated the antisemitic British High Commissioner for the Middle East, Lord Moyne.
Cohen helped organize demonstrations in support of Bet-Zouri and Hakim. Though the protests proved fruitless — the men were hanged — on the scaffold, they maintained their dignity and sang the Zionist anthem, Hatikvah. It is said that Cohen later drew strength from their example as he, too, faced execution.
Cohen played a key role in establishing an “underground railroad” that smuggled Egyptian Jews to Israel. In the early 1950s, he was recruited by the Mossad to help monitor ex-Nazi scientists working for Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser on rocket development. Cohen reportedly also took part in sabotage operations.
After this Mossad network was exposed and many members were arrested, Cohen moved to Israel in 1956. Following a brief adjustment period and service in the Israel Defense Forces, Cohen was offered a role as an intelligence analyst for the Mossad.
Eventually, he was approved for field duty.
Assuming the identity of Kamal Amin Taabet, a wealthy Arab merchant who had emigrated to Argentina and then returned to Syria, Cohen infiltrated the highest echelons of Damascus society. He joined the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, and became close with many of its rising leaders.
After the Ba’ath Party came to power in a coup, many of Cohen’s acquaintances became high-ranking government and military officials, including intelligence chief Colonel Ahmad Suweidani and President Amin al-Hafiz.
As Taabet, Cohen was one of the few civilians ever permitted to tour Syrian military installations on the Golan Heights. He transmitted photographs and sketches of the entire Syrian front to the Mossad. In one instance, he even alerted Israel to an imminent attempt by Syrian commandos to cross the border.
Beyond intelligence gathering, Cohen was tasked with assassinating escaped Nazi war criminal Franz Rademacher, then living in a Syrian colony of former Nazis. That 1962 attempt failed. Cohen also participated in efforts to target Alois Brunner, Adolf Eichmann’s top aide, who had also found sanctuary in Syria. This dark chapter of Syrian history deserves renewed attention: even before the rise of the Assad regime, Syria’s government hated Jews enough to shelter Nazi war criminals. The famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal called Brunner “doubtless the worst … living criminal of the Third Reich” in 1988.
Cohen was ultimately discovered by chance, when his radio transmissions were detected by Soviet KGB agents operating in Damascus. At the time, he was reportedly being considered for a senior government post.
After two trials, Cohen was sentenced to death by hanging. He was 40 years old. He left behind a widow, three daughters, and a son. In his final letter to his wife, he wrote: “I beg of you not to waste time crying for me. Always think of the future.”
Cohen also left behind a warning to Israel’s future leaders: “Against the Arab you mustn’t defend yourself. You must attack.”
Cohen gave his life to ensure that the Syrian threat from the Golan could be neutralized.
Israel is now facing criticism for its continued presence on Mount Hermon, the highest strategic point in the Golan, since the IDF’s deployment there in December. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated in February 2025 that the IDF would remain in the area “for an indefinite period of time to protect our communities and thwart any threat.”
Katz is correct.
Future threats are not hypothetical.
There’s no way to know how long the fragile interim government of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa will remain in power — let alone whether it will return to peace negotiations or collapse into chaos.
Let’s remember: the only thing that stood between Israel and Hafez al-Assad’s chemical weapons was the Golan Heights. The same remained true for his son, the deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad. Had Israel caved to international pressure, the Assads would have seized the Golan — and their weapons, including poison gas, would be aimed at the families of Israel’s Galilee, Jews and Arabs alike.
The Israeli government owes it to Eli Cohen not only to bring his remains home for reburial, but also to maintain a vigilant posture to limit threats from Syria — now and in the future.
The post The Legacy of Eli Cohen — and Implications for Israel-Syria Relations Today first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Viral Video of Jewish Tourists Assaulted in Florence Sparks Outrage Amid Surge in Antisemitic Attacks in Italy
Demonstrators participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 23, 2024. Photo: Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
A viral video of two Jewish American tourists being assaulted in Florence has sparked outrage and condemnation from Italy’s Jewish community — among the latest in a surge of antisemitic attacks targeting Jews in the country and reflecting rising anti-Israel sentiment.
In the video widely circulated on social media, two visibly Jewish men are seen walking down a street in Florence, a city in central Italy, when an unknown individual approaches them and asks where they are from.
After one of the men replies that they are from New York, the assailant begins shouting antisemitic insults — including “Free Palestine, f**ker” — before lashing his belt against the pavement.
The American tourist then tries to respond, but the man begins shouting “shut up!” and “no speaking, you f**ker!” before striking the pavement with his belt once more.
The video then captures the two men fleeing the scene as they try to escape the assailant.
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After the video went viral on Sunday on an Instagram page with nearly 300,000 followers, Italian authorities began efforts to track down the person who posted it.
Local police have launched an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage in an effort to identify the assailant, Italian media reported.
The Italy-Israel Association of Florence (AIIF) strongly condemned the recent attack, urging authorities to act swiftly to protect the local Jewish community.
“These events cannot be downplayed or dismissed as isolated cases. Antisemitism has once again openly surfaced in our streets, and this should be a concern for all of civil society,” AIIF President Emanuele Cocollini said in a statement.
“City, regional, and police authorities have a duty to act firmly: ensure protection, issue an unequivocal political and cultural response, and isolate and stop those who spread hatred,” Cocollini continued.
Enrico Fink, president of the Jewish Community of Florence, also condemned the incident, describing the footage as “horrifying.”
“It is not only for us to express our outrage, but for those whose slogans and causes are being exploited to spread hatred, violence, and racism. I hope that even today, our voice of indignation will not be the only one heard,” Fink said in a statement.
The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment across Europe and around the world since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Italy, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders have warned that such incidents are becoming more frequent amid growing tensions related to the war in Gaza.
According to a new survey by SWG, an Italian polling and research firm, about 15 percent of Italians believe that physical assaults on Jewish people are “entirely or fairly justifiable.”
Released on Tuesday, the poll also found that 18 percent of Italians consider antisemitic graffiti acceptable, while nearly 20 percent believe it is reasonable to attack pro-Israel professors or refuse service to Israeli customers.
Two weeks ago, an American Orthodox Jewish couple was physically assaulted in Venice by a group of anti-Israel agitators, who shouted “Free Palestine” among other intended insults.
Earlier this summer, a Jewish man from France and his child were verbally assaulted at a gas station near Milan by a group of pro-Palestinian activists who shouted antisemitic slurs after seeing the child wearing a kippah, yelling phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “murderers” as they passed by.
In a separate incident, a masked individual targeted a synagogue in Rome, spray-painting a swastika and antisemitic slogans — “Sieg Heil” (“Hail Victory”) and “Juden Raus” (“Jews Out”) — on a sign near the entrance.
In May, a restaurant in Naples forced an Israeli family to leave, telling them, “Zionists are not welcome here.”
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Trump Administration Sues Anti-Israel Activists, Organizations Over Protest Outside New Jersey Synagogue
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest near the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, in New York City, US, May 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ryan Murphy
The Trump administration has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against several New Jersey activists and organizations, alleging they disrupted a synagogue service in West Orange during a heated protest last year.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, names members of American Muslims for Palestine–New Jersey, the Party for Socialism and Liberation–New Jersey, and individual activists as defendants. Prosecutors say the group violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act — a law usually applied to abortion clinics but that also protects houses of worship.
According to the complaint filed on Monday, the incident occurred on Nov. 13, 2024, at Congregation Ohr Torah. The synagogue was reportedly hosting a memorial and real estate presentation promoting the sale of property in Israeli communities in the West Bank originally scheduled take place at the home of organizer Moshe Glick. When protesters threatened to demonstrate outside his residence, the event was moved to the synagogue.
Federal prosecutors allege that demonstrators ignored police instructions, stormed synagogue property, and used vuvuzelas — long plastic horns — to drown out speakers. The complaint describes several confrontations, including one protester allegedly blowing a vuvuzela directly in Glick’s ear, sparking a physical clash. Another congregant, 65-year-old David Silberberg, was allegedly put in a chokehold and forced to the ground after intervening. A stink bomb was also reportedly thrown into the crowd.
The US Justice Department is seeking both monetary damages and a permanent injunction. Proposed restrictions would bar defendants from coming within 50 feet of the synagogue or Glick’s home and prohibit them from protesting within 500 feet of any place of worship during services. Civil penalties of more than $84,000 per defendant are also being pursued. Essex County prosecutors had previously suggested that pro-Israel counter-protesters instigated the violence, highlighting conflicting accounts of the chaotic scene.
“Those who target houses of worship and violate our federal laws protecting people of faith are on notice that they will face the consequences,” Justice Department Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.
Attorneys for Glick and other attendees have defended their actions as self-defense and criticized local prosecutors’ handling of the case. Representatives for the defendants and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case marks one of the Trump administration’s most aggressive uses of the FACE Act against activists in a religious context, setting the stage for a legal fight over the limits of protest and the protection of worshippers.
In recent years, New Jersey has witnessed a striking uptick in antisemitic incidents, sparking alarm in Jewish and civil-rights communities statewide. According to data from the Anti-Defamation League, 2024 saw 719 reported acts in the state, the third highest total in the nation, including harassment, vandalism, and assaults. Even though the number represents a modest drop from 2023’s peak of 830, the figures remain historically elevated and far above pre-2022 levels. In 2023 alone, New Jersey recorded a 22 percent increase in bias incidents, with anti-Jewish bias making up more than one-fifth of all reports to law enforcement. State legislators have responded by pushing for a formal, statewide definition of antisemitism to better guide law enforcement and educational institutions in identifying and prosecuting such acts.
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Charlie Kirk’s Words Crush the Conspiracy: Private Letter to Netanyahu Reveals a Steadfast Supporter of Israel
Charlie Kirk speaking at the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025. Photo: Brian Snyder via Reuters Connect
A newly published letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated earlier this month, offers a potent rebuttal to conspiracy theories alleging that the prominent podcaster had turned against the Jewish state in the months before his death.
Far from drifting away from his long record of support for the Jewish state, Kirk’s own words show him urging Netanyahu to develop a stronger social media defense of Israel in what he described as a deteriorating “information war” online and in universities. However, Kirk did also offer distinct notes of criticism in his correspondence.
“One of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization,” Kirk wrote at the top of his letter, which the New York Post reported on Monday. Addressing Netanyahu directly, Kirk said he sought “to lay out our concerns and outline potential remedies. Everything written here is from a place of deep love for Israel and the Jewish people.” He warned that “as Muhammadism spreads into Western societies, it’s critical that Jews and Christians stay united in the effort to contain and roll back radical Islam and Sharia law.”
Kirk lamented that “Israel is losing the information war and needs a ‘communications intervention.” He described how anti-Israel invective infects the questions he receives on his campus tours and has infiltrated “young MAGA circles.” He called the situation “a five-alarm fire,” warning that anti-Israel narratives — ranging from “apartheid state” claims to conspiracy theories about Jews orchestrating US foreign policy — had shattered support among the young political right.
Describing his engagement with Jewish ideas, Kirk wrote that “I spent endless hours with Dennis Prager over the years studying the Torah.”
The letter, written earlier this year and running seven pages, mixes personal testimony with detailed social media messaging recommendations. Kirk recounted how, on Easter, he felt “bombarded with messages about the Israeli army making it difficult for Christians to access church in Jerusalem” and frustrated that no official response came quickly from Jerusalem. “Pro-Israel surrogates like me should not be in charge of fact checking every piece of anti-Israel misinformation that pours into social media,” he wrote, adding that “sometimes, it feels like I’m defending Israel in public more than your own government.”
Kirk decried a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t dynamic in online pro-Israel advocacy.
“I’m accused of being a paid apologist for Israel when I defend her; however, if I don’t defend Israel strongly enough, I’m accused of being antisemitic,” he wrote. “I know you’ve got a seven-front war and my kvetching pales in comparison. But I’m trying to convey to you that Israel is losing support even in conservative circles.”
Kirk described how even at events put on by his organization Turning Point USA that draw thousands of students, he faced constant hostile questioning about Israel. “On my recent campus tours, half the questions I get are about Israel and they’re all negative,” Kirk said. He stressed that his commitment was unwavering: “I often spend half my time on these campus tours defending Jews and Israel which I’m proud to do because I love Israel and love the Jewish faith.”
Among the proposals Kirk advanced was the creation of an “Israel Truth Network,” a one-stop information hub and social media presence that could debunk common accusations and showcase the decency of Israeli society. He urged Netanyahu to establish a rapid response media team, to send former hostages on US speaking tours, and to highlight stories of ordinary Israelis through campaigns like “Dude, you got us wrong!” He pressed Israel to generate original, English-language content for TikTok, podcasts, and other platforms rather than depending on American allies, stressing that “Israel needs to learn to fish (i.e. create your own content) and be more self-reliant when it comes to your communications strategy.”
Kirk urged Netanyahu to model his own communications team on that of US President Donald Trump. He wrote that “the [resident has strong fighters like Stephen Miller and Karoline Leavitt who battle the press every day. Honestly, I don’t even know if you have a press secretary. You are an eloquent defender of Israel, but you need a team of information warriors out there pushing back every day in real time.” At the time Kirk wrote his letter on May 2, Omer Dostri served as Netanyahu’s press secretary.
Kirk also warned that young people on the right remain deeply skeptical of intelligence assessments after the Iraq war and COVID-19, making it essential that Israelis themselves — not just Americans — make the case against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He emphasized that Netanyahu should think of Israel’s public diplomacy like a political campaign: “Right now, there’s essentially a massive negative ad campaign spreading on social media. These negative ads are defining this candidate. Like any campaign, the first task is to define the candidate.”
While most of the letter offered praise of Israel, on the subject of COVID-19 vaccines and other topics, Kirk did present criticisms and skepticism.
“Our generation was also lied to by the governments of Israel and the US that COVID vaccines were safe and effective,” he wrote. “Israel intelligence missed the boat on Oct. 7, but we’re asked to trust Israeli intelligence 100 percent that Iran is on the cusp of obtaining nuclear weapons. Young conservatives are very skeptical of government proclamations.”
Kirk stated that he understood social media “as well as anyone in the world” and that “from my vantage point, Israel has retreated from social media without a fight. How are you going to win over younger generations if you’re starting out in retreat on social media?”
He advised filling communications staffs with people in their twenties and thirties who “grew up with cell phones and social media — not pay phones and TV news,” and implored Netanyahu to stop treating TikTok as a sideshow. “My campus tour last fall and this spring have received approximately five billion impressions,” Kirk noted, adding that Israel should take advantage of platforms like X, where Elon Musk is “a good friend to Israel.”
The Turning Point USA leader suggested a campaign model for the Jewish state. “You should perhaps consider reshaping your Hasbara Department into more of a political campaign headquarters with campaign narrative experts,” he wrote. “Hasbara could be the mothership hosting ITN where the messaging campaign can be created and then distributed to all the pro-Israel groups and thought leaders.”
In his conclusion, Kirk told the prime minister that “the status quo is not working. Israel is getting crushed on social media and you are losing younger generations of Americans, even among MAGA conservatives.” He stressed that his concerns stemmed from his faith: “The Holy Land is so important to my life, and it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.”
The letter countered claims from some of Kirk’s erstwhile allies that he started drifting away from the Jewish state. As The Algemeiner reported on Sept. 17, Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal, a pro-Iran journalist and fierce critic of Israel, published a story alleging that pro-Israel figures — including billionaire investor Bill Ackman — had staged an “intervention” to pressure Kirk over his views. That report, denied by Ackman and Kirk’s own producer Andrew Kolvet, was nevertheless taken up by far-right podcaster Candace Owens and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who have previously promoted antisemitic tropes and accused Israel of genocide.
Days later, as The Algemeiner reported on Sept. 22, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson used his eulogy for Kirk to weave antisemitic innuendo, appearing to blame Jews for both the crucifixion of Jesus and Kirk’s murder.
Carlson’s comments drew condemnation from prominent conservative and pro-Israel voices, who warned that such rhetoric threatened to poison the Republican Party.