The success of the Netflix film “The Angel,” the story of a controversial Egyptian who leaked critical information to Israel during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, has aroused interest in the country’s recent spy history.
The film, based on Israeli author Uri Bar-Joseph’s book "The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel," narrates how Ashraf Marwan, son-in-law of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser and a close adviser to Nasser’s successor, Anwar Sadat, became an Israeli spy. The Egyptian position, however, is that Marwan did not betray Egypt, but that he was a double agent who gave misleading information to the Israeli intelligence. Former President Hosni Mubarak hailed Marwan as a "faithful patriot" at his funeral 10 years ago.