Lebanon – Israels “Mata Hari” – Mossad Spy Shula Cohen

Shula Cohen Mossad Agent in Beirut  – “Israel’s Mata Hari” The Girl Who Became a Mossad Spy in Lebanon. SHULA COHEN and story of becoming a spy for Israel in 1948 in Beruit, where her wealthy husband and her acceptance in Lebanese / Syrian social circles gave her unprecedented access to secret intelligence information. In a story reminiscent of Queen Esther in the Bible, she risks her comfortable lifestyle and social life to help her people, but unlike Esther, Shula pays a high price for her choice. Imprisoned in 1960, she endures seven years of torture and abuse before a secret prisoner exchange after the Six Day War in 1967, allows Shula to come home to Jerusalem.Shula Cohen spent seven years in a prison in Beirut, Lebanon because she was an Israeli spy. Only now can Shula Cohen tell the story of how she became a secret agent.In 1947, Shula began to work in her husband’s shop in Beirut. She overheard some Arabs from the village talking about plans to attack Israel. Shula knew this information was important. She decided to ask a client to smuggle a letter to an imaginary aunt in Jerusalem.In the letter Shula hid information about the Arab attack. After a week Shula received an answer. The answer made it clear to Shula how important the information was to the Jewish people. Contact between Shula and the Jews in the “Yishuv” had been established.Shula Cohen was honored by Mrs. Navon at the President’s house. Shula was the only one who did not speak. She was honored for “her services to the Jewish people.” Shula had helped thousands of Jews from Syria and Iraq come through Lebanon to Israel. She found escape routes for them by land, sea and air. She was able to work for fourteen years before she was caught. That was quite a job when you think that Eli Cohen, “our man in Damascus,” a professional spy, was only able to work for two years.In this video report Eli Cohen was hanged in Syria after she met him in jail.The Syrians made confrontation between them in jail to check if they know each other. The Syrians asked to hang her also. Today Shula Cohen lives a quiet life working in a gift shop in Jerusalem. Adapted also  from “Israel’s Mata Hari” by Ruth Seligson.