Moshe Marzouk
Encyclopedia
Moshe Marzouk was an Egypt
ian Karaite Jew, hanged by Egypt in 1955 for plotting terrorist attacks in Cairo
known as Operation Suzannah.
Marzouk was born in Cairo
to a Karaite family who had immigrated from Tunisia
in the early 20th century, though they retained French
citizenship. While working as a surgeon at the Jewish Hospital in Cairo in the early 1950s, he was recruited as a spy by Israeli military intelligence, along with nearly a dozen other young Egyptian Jews.
In 1954 the group carried out a series of bomb
ings in Egypt; the post office in Alexandria
, and two American libraries in Cairo and Alexandria, and a British movie theatre — as part of Operation Suzannah, which triggered political internal crisis known as the Lavon Affair
. The group was caught and tried, during which time they were tortured. Marzouk publicly took responsibility for the group and everything that they had done, and was one of two group members who were hanged in a Cairo prison. Two others committed suicide after 5 months of torture, and the rest were jailed for 14 years before being deported to Israel in 1968.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Karaite Jew, hanged by Egypt in 1955 for plotting terrorist attacks in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
known as Operation Suzannah.
Marzouk was born in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
to a Karaite family who had immigrated from Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in the early 20th century, though they retained French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
citizenship. While working as a surgeon at the Jewish Hospital in Cairo in the early 1950s, he was recruited as a spy by Israeli military intelligence, along with nearly a dozen other young Egyptian Jews.
In 1954 the group carried out a series of bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
ings in Egypt; the post office in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, and two American libraries in Cairo and Alexandria, and a British movie theatre — as part of Operation Suzannah, which triggered political internal crisis known as the Lavon Affair
Lavon Affair
The Lavon Affair refers to a failed Israeli covert operation, code named Operation Susannah, conducted in Egypt in the Summer of 1954. As part of the false flag operation, a group of Egyptian Jews were recruited by Israeli military intelligence for plans to plant bombs inside Egyptian, American and...
. The group was caught and tried, during which time they were tortured. Marzouk publicly took responsibility for the group and everything that they had done, and was one of two group members who were hanged in a Cairo prison. Two others committed suicide after 5 months of torture, and the rest were jailed for 14 years before being deported to Israel in 1968.