Illustration by Jaimee Lee Haddad
It's May 2007 and Israel is celebrating its 59th anniversary. In occupied East Jerusalem, a woman in her 90s slowly makes her way to the stage — a torch in hand. The crowd applauds Shulamit Kishik-Cohen, the star of the day, honored for her “contribution” to the founding of the State of Israel. However, she was neither a former Haganah militia member nor a key figure in the Mapai, nor even a financier of the Jewish Agency. Instead, it was from Beirut, in utmost secrecy, that the “Grandmother James Bond” facilitated the birth of Israel on the ruins of Palestinian society.“I never did anything for glory,” she assures the crowd. “But I believe in Zionism, and I love this country.” The applause grows louder. The “Pearl of the Mossad” smiles modestly. She has a lot of stories to tell.Shula Cohen's early life held no indication of the...
It's May 2007 and Israel is celebrating its 59th anniversary. In occupied East Jerusalem, a woman in her 90s slowly makes her way to the stage — a torch in hand. The crowd applauds Shulamit Kishik-Cohen, the star of the day, honored for her “contribution” to the founding of the State of Israel. However, she was neither a former Haganah militia member nor a key figure in the Mapai, nor even a financier of the Jewish Agency. Instead, it was from Beirut, in utmost secrecy, that the “Grandmother James Bond” facilitated the birth of Israel on the ruins of Palestinian society.“I never did anything for glory,” she assures the crowd. “But I believe in Zionism, and I love this country.” The applause grows louder. The “Pearl of the Mossad” smiles modestly. She has a lot of stories to tell.Shula Cohen's early life held...
