Eli Cohen, The Spy – a double life of high jeopardy

 

Spook-fascination has produced another TV mini-series from Netflix about Israel’s top Mossad spy in Syria in the 1960s Eli Cohen. He is played bizarrely enough by Sacha Baron Cohen taking on a serious role.

Born 16 December 1924 12 noon Alexandria, Egypt (from memory), he stayed behind, when his family moved to Israel in 1949, to organise Zionist activities. He was then trained in undercover work by Mossad, lived briefly in South America to establish a persona as a rich businessman, went to Syria and moved in high society, became the confidante of generals and ultimately Deputy Defence Minister. The information he radioed back in secret transmissions was key to Israel winning the Six Day War. He was pressured by his Mossad overlords against his better judgement to return to Syria one last time, was captured, tortured and executed.

He was a confident and enthusiastic Sun Jupiter in Sagittarius square Mars Uranus in Pisces and trine Neptune Moon in Leo – certainly devil-may-care, idealistic, brave and foolhardy. That all makes sense of a high-roller who lived like James Bond. His darker, more secretive side came from Saturn in Scorpio in his 8th trine a 4th house Pluto which in turn opposed Mercury. His Venus in Scorpio also in the 8th was trine Uranus Mars and square Neptune Moon.

I cannot fathom the kind of temperament which can live that kind of a double life where the penalty for exposure is guaranteed to be exceedingly nasty. Living with that kind of constant fear takes a special kind of character.

Cohen’s family have complained that his womanising streak has been sensationalised in the TV drama and that wasn’t the man they knew. His widow also aimed a few brickbats at Mossad, blaming them for sending him back.

2 thoughts on “Eli Cohen, The Spy – a double life of high jeopardy

  1. “He is played bizarrely enough by Sacha Baron Cohen taking on a serious role.”

    Sacha Baron Cohen is good, too. The series has a cold opening format, and I think the first one is several minutes long. I watched that through without recognizing him, and probably would have missed it for the whole episode if not for opening titles.

    As for Eli Cohen’s chart, the latest Pluto in Cancer largely produced “The Greatest Generation”, young women and men who sacrificed themselves in WWII. Also, 4th house Cancer planets in general are a great indication of people whose faith is tied to their homeland. A 4th house Pluto in Cancer, with a tight aspect to a personal planet, well, that’s absolutely something I’d expect to see on a spy’s chart!

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