Exclusive interview with the man who caught Eli Cohen
Exclusive interview with the man who caught Eli Cohen newspress_en Wed, 09/30/2026 - 14:07 Documents & Memoirs Some stories do not end when they are published; they remain open, and years later they return to you, or you return to them. You discover that what you thought you knew then was only part of a much bigger story. The story of Israeli spy Eli Cohen in Syria is one such example. In March…
In March 2004, the reporter had the opportunity to speak with Maj. Gen. Salah al-Dalli. Maj. Gen. al-Dalli was the head of the special court that tried Israeli spy Eli Cohen and sentenced him to death in Damascus in 1965. Today, Maj. Gen. al-Dalli recounted his experiences with Cohen, differing from the image that Israel had painted of him.
According to Maj. Gen. al-Dalli, Cohen's information was not valuable as he couldn't ask meaningful questions without exposing himself, and he only heard ordinary conversations. The reporter learned from Maj. Gen. al-Dalli that Cohen did manage to send information to Israel, such as the resignation of Maj. Gen. Muhammad Umran, but he rejected claims that Cohen was close to Syrian President Amin al-Hafiz or Baathist leaders Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar.
The story of Eli Cohen did not end with his execution in 1965, as the location of his body remained a mystery. Maj. Gen. al-Dalli revealed that Cohen was initially buried in a cave near Damascus, and then his remains were moved. Israel's search for his body became another chapter of the story.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
