The Angel (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ashraf became a Mossad informant after feeling trapped and betrayed by President Nasser. When Nasser ordered Mona to divorce him and had him under surveillance through Sami Sharaf, Ashraf reached out to Israeli Ambassador Michael Comay but was denied contact. Later, Mossad agents approached him with evidence of his earlier attempts to reveal state secrets, offering him a way to escape his precarious position and potentially influence Egyptian policy toward peace.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in London, Ashraf urged Nasser to pursue diplomacy with the US instead of Soviet-backed violence, showing his inclination toward peace even before his recruitment.

• ashraf marwan
• mossad
• betrayal
• nasser
• spy

Ashraf was given the code name 'the angel' by his Mossad handlers. The name reflects his role as a messenger between sides, someone who appears to bring peace or salvation, though his true motivations remain complex and ambiguous throughout the story.

• the angel
• code name
• mossad
• ashraf marwan

The film explicitly parallels Ashraf's situation with the fable. When Ashraf warns Mossad about imminent attacks that don't materialize, he loses credibility, like the shepherd boy who cried wolf too many times. This deliberate parallel explains why his warnings about the Yom Kippur War are dismissed, even though they are completely accurate.

Foreshadowing: Ashraf is shown reading 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' to his son early in the film, foreshadowing this exact dilemma.

• boy who cried wolf
• fable
• warning
• mossad
• credibility

Mossad dismissed Ashraf's warning about the Yom Kippur attack because he had previously warned about attacks that never happened. His earlier false alarms, though perhaps intentional to maintain his cover, eroded his credibility with Israeli intelligence, causing them to disregard his critical intelligence about the imminent Egyptian assault.

Foreshadowing: The earlier warnings about attacks that did not materialize directly caused Mossad to doubt Ashraf's later, accurate warning.

• yom kippur war
• mossad warning
• egypt attack
• intelligence failure

Ashraf sabotaged the missile launcher to prevent a terrorist attack on a commercial airline bound for Israel. Though working as a double agent, he chose to protect innocent civilians rather than allow the attack to proceed, demonstrating his genuine commitment to preventing violence despite his complex allegiances.

• rome airport
• missile launcher
• sabotage
• terrorism
• ashraf marwan

Nasser ordered Mona to divorce Ashraf because he suspected Ashraf of infidelity and believed he was a liability. Nasser was already monitoring Ashraf's movements through Sami Sharaf, and his suspicions about Ashraf's interactions with actress Diana Ellis compounded his distrust, leading him to pressure Mona to end the marriage.

• nasser
• mona
• divorce
• surveillance
• diamond ellis

Ashraf gained Sadat's trust by exposing high-level corruption within the Egyptian government. After Nasser's death and Sadat took power, Ashraf demonstrated his loyalty by revealing corrupt officials, which positioned him as a valuable political ally and earned him significant influence in Sadat's administration.

• sadat
• trust
• corruption
• egypt
• political rise

Ashraf's marriage deteriorated because Mona remained unaware of his true motives and activities. His clandestine trips, mysterious social engagements, and double life as a Mossad informant created insurmountable distance between them. The secrecy and deception, combined with her father's earlier order for divorce, ultimately led to the collapse of their relationship.

• mona
• marriage
• divorce
• secrecy
• ashraf family

The Yom Kippur War resulted in a military stalemate that forced both Egypt and Israel to the negotiating table. This deadlock, combined with Ashraf's earlier diplomatic groundwork, eventually led to the historic Camp David Accords between Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, earning both leaders the Nobel Peace Prize.

• yom kippur war
• peace treaty
• sadat
• begin
• nobel prize
• camp david

Ashraf Marwan died in 2007 under mysterious circumstances when he fell from his London balcony. The exact details of his death remain unclear, though he was honored as a national hero by both Egypt and Israel for his crucial role in facilitating peace between the two nations.

• ashraf death
• 2007
• london
• mysterious
• national hero

Ashraf was uniquely revered by both nations because his covert actions ultimately served both sides. By providing intelligence to Mossad while maintaining his position in Egypt, he helped prevent unnecessary bloodshed and facilitated the peace process that benefited both countries, leaving a legacy as a unlikely peacemaker.

• hero
• peace
• egypt
• israel
• legacy
• respect

From the beginning, Ashraf believed diplomacy was the only viable path to resolving the Israeli-Egyptian conflict. Even in 1970, he pressed President Nasser to seek peace with the US as a mediator, arguing that continued violence would only perpetuate suffering. His subsequent actions as a double agent consistently prioritized diplomatic solutions over military confrontation.

• diplomacy
• peace
• nasser
• violence
• ussr
• usa