Over the past week I have been preoccupied with those of courage who have fought and died for their country in the armed services and in intelligence, and this afternoon tired and deciding further work would be unproductive I discovered a showing of film about the man who whose work contributed to Israel winning the six days war as he was able to provide detailed information on guns located on the Golan Heights.
This has special significance today because my Member of Parliament Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in Damascus discussing the need for improved diplomatic relations with a country notorious for having helped terrorist groups and continuing to be a great friend of Iran, of Hama's and Hizballah. The meeting is the culmination of 18th month work by officials and there are hopes of the contact could help towards a bridge between Israel and Palestine, on resolving Iraq issues and the place of Iran in tomorrow's world.
Eli Cohen was an Arab passing Egyptian born(1924) man of Jewish faith who came to Israel only in1956 after being expelled from Egypt after the failure to prove his connection with the intelligence operations of others. He married and started a family working in an office after being turned down for a translator's job because of his lack of knowledge of modern Hebrew. However according to the film he was wanted for an important front line activity which he is said to have resisted until 1960. He was trained to become a wealthy Syrian businessman and sent to Argentina to establish his identity and to make contact with influential members of the Ba'ath Party as a supporter and donor of funds. He is reported by his brother to have been involved in the location Adolph Eichmann who living in Argentina and to also make contact with a senior Eichmann aide who had become a member of Syrian intelligence, although this is not covered in the film An Impossible Spy
On moving to Syria and Damascus Eli Cohen quickly established himself as a social leader with members of the Party and its senior military once control had been taken of the government. He was the only civilian to be taken on a tour of the Golan Heights and its said it was his suggestion that trees should planted for added camouflage and which in fact helped to identify the gun emplacements during the six days war. He was uncovered through Russian made technology when successfully informing of a planned terrorist attack on a Kibbutz. Had he like Britain and the Enigma machine not used the information of the attack he would have found himself nominated as the deputy Minister of Defence, such was the confidence he established and the sense of betrayal when his true identity was discovered.
For me the most interesting and challenging part of his story was not being able to share his work with his wife. The cover story was that he had to work abroad in Europe seeking arms for Israel and required him to spend long periods away. His business also enabled him to make visits home including for the birth of his third child. The film attempts to convey something of the tension in the relationship that inevitably arose. He was executed in public with the media present in 1965 and only with his capture did his wife learn of his double life and sacrifice for his adopted country.
Fifty Years later his body has not been returned and an online petition by his late brother attracted surprisingly few signatures despite the status given by Israel to his widow and family. I can understand Syrian reluctance because of the honour which would given to his remains but it would be a great gesture of goodwill and would mean so much to his widow and his children, and Israel might be persuaded to make it only a family affair rather than a national event. But after fifty years?
AOL ClassicalBeethoven's Piano Sonata 23-The Appassionata Mikhael Pletnev; The Sea Symphony-Vaughan Williams, Sir Adrian Boult; Beethoven Moonlight Piano Sonata; concerto de Aranjuez played by John Williams; Fantasia in Greensleves Vaughn Williams' from Schubert's Symphony no (-Sir Simon Rattle.) Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata Richter. Cello sonata Debussy; from Mahler 9th Symphony Von Karajan; Rodrigo Spanish piece played by Romero
In contrast my second film of the day was simple fantasy and mythology attempting to speculate what might have happened to Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus- Little Caesar-after his parents were killed and he was banished to Castellum Lucullanum in Campania after which no more is more is known. His family, for in truth his father had deposed the previous Emperor and used his son to govern himself, for ten months, is regarded to have been the last Emperor of the city ravaged by the Goths under Odocaer and marked the beginning of the Middle Ages in 476.
The film introduces a Merlin/Gandalf character Druid Ambrosinus, exiled from Britain and who knows the secret and whereabouts of Caesar's sword. The film concertina's the reign of the Emperor who is deposed banished to Capri and rescued by his personal guard (Colin Firth) and a female warrior agent for the Eastern Emperor at Constantinople and then betrayed by a Roman senator and the Eastern Emperor, narrowly escaping to make their way to Britain in search for the remaining 9th Legion, which has taken to marrying and farming. They also encounter Vortgyn the local warlord and enemy of Ambrosinus and who has teamed up with the Odocaer and his henchman Wulfila and do great battle. After all the slaying and victory the boy emperor throws away the sword which becomes embedded in rock. Generations later now transformed into Merlin he shows a descendent, Arthur the sword and tells the tale.
In the current series of Young Merlin and Arthur, the best sword in town is taken by Merlin to have a final forging by the last dragon and is only to be used by Arthur, but is then used by his father by mistake and the dragon requests that it has to hidden away as it will do great evil so Merlin throws it into distant deep water. Myth upon myth upon myth.
AOL Radio Bruce Springsteen
7-9pm 18.11.2008
Joy of joys I have discovered a Bruce Springsteen station on AOL radio and listened to: I wanna be with you; Cadillac Ranch; No Surrender, Prove it all night: When you alone from Tunnel of Love; I wanna Marry You from the River; I wish I were Blind from the Human Touch; She's the one Hammersmith Odeon Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips from Children's Album; Atlantic City from Live New York; also Ramrod from same Album; Give my love to Rose Kindred Spirits; Youngstown from Ghost of Tom Joad; Tougher than Rest from Chimes of the Night; The Rising from Lonesome Day; Black Cowboys from Devils and the Dust; Streets of Philadelphia from Greatest Hits. Pink Cadillac; Does the bus stop at 82nd street from Ashbury Park. Countering on a Miracle from the Rising and Girls in their Summer clothes (not heard before) from Magic Album; 30 Days Out (not released and nor heard before). Incident on 57th Street from the Wild and Innocent.
The ability of Hollywood to create convincing truth suggests that governments now have the capacity to do even better. The role of Television truth was tested with the discovery that phone, email and text voting and competitions could be fixed to maximise income, selected winners according to the preference of the programme. Therefore the constant selection of political reporter and commentator John Sargeant who cannot dance for love of toffee by the general public over dancers with ability can only indicate the growing wilfulness of the public at cooking a snook at officialdom although in this situation a group of dance experts. is amazing. I have always had a soft for Cherie Lunghi. In contrast to the rotund John, 56 year old Cherie has legs to die for which may explain why some voters feel threatened by her. She was able to dance the non Latin to high standards, but somehow was unable until recently to communicate the passion and energy required by the Latin. Her most familiar work has been on British TV with a wide range of roles from classical drama Much Ado Tis Pity She's a Whore to Oliver Twist and Edward and Mrs Simpson, to mass popularity shows such as Eastenders, Casualty and a Touch of Frost and her own series such as The Manageress. She sizzled in the Hollywood film Excalibur but never achieved major stardom with performances in The Mission, To Kill a Priest and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
The most interesting aspect of her off screen life is that she was brought up by her mother and aunts, after the marriage with her Italian father failed, and then her own marriage to the Film Director Ronald Joffe failed and she became a single parent with one daughter herself.
This has special significance today because my Member of Parliament Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in Damascus discussing the need for improved diplomatic relations with a country notorious for having helped terrorist groups and continuing to be a great friend of Iran, of Hama's and Hizballah. The meeting is the culmination of 18th month work by officials and there are hopes of the contact could help towards a bridge between Israel and Palestine, on resolving Iraq issues and the place of Iran in tomorrow's world.
Eli Cohen was an Arab passing Egyptian born(1924) man of Jewish faith who came to Israel only in1956 after being expelled from Egypt after the failure to prove his connection with the intelligence operations of others. He married and started a family working in an office after being turned down for a translator's job because of his lack of knowledge of modern Hebrew. However according to the film he was wanted for an important front line activity which he is said to have resisted until 1960. He was trained to become a wealthy Syrian businessman and sent to Argentina to establish his identity and to make contact with influential members of the Ba'ath Party as a supporter and donor of funds. He is reported by his brother to have been involved in the location Adolph Eichmann who living in Argentina and to also make contact with a senior Eichmann aide who had become a member of Syrian intelligence, although this is not covered in the film An Impossible Spy
On moving to Syria and Damascus Eli Cohen quickly established himself as a social leader with members of the Party and its senior military once control had been taken of the government. He was the only civilian to be taken on a tour of the Golan Heights and its said it was his suggestion that trees should planted for added camouflage and which in fact helped to identify the gun emplacements during the six days war. He was uncovered through Russian made technology when successfully informing of a planned terrorist attack on a Kibbutz. Had he like Britain and the Enigma machine not used the information of the attack he would have found himself nominated as the deputy Minister of Defence, such was the confidence he established and the sense of betrayal when his true identity was discovered.
For me the most interesting and challenging part of his story was not being able to share his work with his wife. The cover story was that he had to work abroad in Europe seeking arms for Israel and required him to spend long periods away. His business also enabled him to make visits home including for the birth of his third child. The film attempts to convey something of the tension in the relationship that inevitably arose. He was executed in public with the media present in 1965 and only with his capture did his wife learn of his double life and sacrifice for his adopted country.
Fifty Years later his body has not been returned and an online petition by his late brother attracted surprisingly few signatures despite the status given by Israel to his widow and family. I can understand Syrian reluctance because of the honour which would given to his remains but it would be a great gesture of goodwill and would mean so much to his widow and his children, and Israel might be persuaded to make it only a family affair rather than a national event. But after fifty years?
AOL ClassicalBeethoven's Piano Sonata 23-The Appassionata Mikhael Pletnev; The Sea Symphony-Vaughan Williams, Sir Adrian Boult; Beethoven Moonlight Piano Sonata; concerto de Aranjuez played by John Williams; Fantasia in Greensleves Vaughn Williams' from Schubert's Symphony no (-Sir Simon Rattle.) Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata Richter. Cello sonata Debussy; from Mahler 9th Symphony Von Karajan; Rodrigo Spanish piece played by Romero
In contrast my second film of the day was simple fantasy and mythology attempting to speculate what might have happened to Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus- Little Caesar-after his parents were killed and he was banished to Castellum Lucullanum in Campania after which no more is more is known. His family, for in truth his father had deposed the previous Emperor and used his son to govern himself, for ten months, is regarded to have been the last Emperor of the city ravaged by the Goths under Odocaer and marked the beginning of the Middle Ages in 476.
The film introduces a Merlin/Gandalf character Druid Ambrosinus, exiled from Britain and who knows the secret and whereabouts of Caesar's sword. The film concertina's the reign of the Emperor who is deposed banished to Capri and rescued by his personal guard (Colin Firth) and a female warrior agent for the Eastern Emperor at Constantinople and then betrayed by a Roman senator and the Eastern Emperor, narrowly escaping to make their way to Britain in search for the remaining 9th Legion, which has taken to marrying and farming. They also encounter Vortgyn the local warlord and enemy of Ambrosinus and who has teamed up with the Odocaer and his henchman Wulfila and do great battle. After all the slaying and victory the boy emperor throws away the sword which becomes embedded in rock. Generations later now transformed into Merlin he shows a descendent, Arthur the sword and tells the tale.
In the current series of Young Merlin and Arthur, the best sword in town is taken by Merlin to have a final forging by the last dragon and is only to be used by Arthur, but is then used by his father by mistake and the dragon requests that it has to hidden away as it will do great evil so Merlin throws it into distant deep water. Myth upon myth upon myth.
AOL Radio Bruce Springsteen
7-9pm 18.11.2008
Joy of joys I have discovered a Bruce Springsteen station on AOL radio and listened to: I wanna be with you; Cadillac Ranch; No Surrender, Prove it all night: When you alone from Tunnel of Love; I wanna Marry You from the River; I wish I were Blind from the Human Touch; She's the one Hammersmith Odeon Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips from Children's Album; Atlantic City from Live New York; also Ramrod from same Album; Give my love to Rose Kindred Spirits; Youngstown from Ghost of Tom Joad; Tougher than Rest from Chimes of the Night; The Rising from Lonesome Day; Black Cowboys from Devils and the Dust; Streets of Philadelphia from Greatest Hits. Pink Cadillac; Does the bus stop at 82nd street from Ashbury Park. Countering on a Miracle from the Rising and Girls in their Summer clothes (not heard before) from Magic Album; 30 Days Out (not released and nor heard before). Incident on 57th Street from the Wild and Innocent.
The ability of Hollywood to create convincing truth suggests that governments now have the capacity to do even better. The role of Television truth was tested with the discovery that phone, email and text voting and competitions could be fixed to maximise income, selected winners according to the preference of the programme. Therefore the constant selection of political reporter and commentator John Sargeant who cannot dance for love of toffee by the general public over dancers with ability can only indicate the growing wilfulness of the public at cooking a snook at officialdom although in this situation a group of dance experts. is amazing. I have always had a soft for Cherie Lunghi. In contrast to the rotund John, 56 year old Cherie has legs to die for which may explain why some voters feel threatened by her. She was able to dance the non Latin to high standards, but somehow was unable until recently to communicate the passion and energy required by the Latin. Her most familiar work has been on British TV with a wide range of roles from classical drama Much Ado Tis Pity She's a Whore to Oliver Twist and Edward and Mrs Simpson, to mass popularity shows such as Eastenders, Casualty and a Touch of Frost and her own series such as The Manageress. She sizzled in the Hollywood film Excalibur but never achieved major stardom with performances in The Mission, To Kill a Priest and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
The most interesting aspect of her off screen life is that she was brought up by her mother and aunts, after the marriage with her Italian father failed, and then her own marriage to the Film Director Ronald Joffe failed and she became a single parent with one daughter herself.
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