The Mossad, in a special operation carried out recently, was successful in retrieving the wristwatch of Eli Cohen, who was embedded in Syria as a spy for Israel from 1961 to 1965, when he was caught and executed.

In a special ceremony held a few weeks ago, the watch was presented to Cohen’s family by Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen. It is currently on display at Mossad headquarters and will continue to be until the next Rosh Hashana, when it will be granted to the Cohen family.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu applauded the Mossad’s success, saying “I congratulate the Mossad warriors, who brought back the wristwatch of our dear Eli Cohen, may he rest in peace,” adding that the operation was “determined and courageous, the sole objective of which was to retrieve to Israel a memory from a great warrior that gave so much to the security of the state. We will remember him always.”

In the 60s, Cohen infiltrated the Syrian intelligence apparatus on behalf of the State of Israel, developing close relationships with political and military seniors, and even becoming the Chief Advisor to the Syrian Minister of Defense. Cohen was eventually caught, tried and sentenced to death by hanging. The Information provided by Cohen was said to be a crucial factor in Israel’s success in the Six Day War, two years after his capture.