Fact-check: Did Jeffrey Epstein work as a Mossad operative? Here's what Israeli officials had to say

Epstein files: The chatter around the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associations with prominent and wealthy people refuses to subside. This time, it is around his ties with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and whether Epstein worked for Mossad, an Israeli intelligence service. Senior government officials in Israel, including the Prime Minister, Isaac Herzog, have rejected such theories, Fox News reported on 15 February.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) released over three million pages in connection with the Epstein files. In what is considered the last tranche of documents, released on 30 January, the files revealed the names of several prominent personalities.

The claims received pushback from Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, who took to X to reject these claims.

Netanyahu wrote, "Jeffrey Epstein's unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesn't suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite." Escalating his criticism, he added, “Stuck on his election loss from over two decades ago, Barak has for years obsessively attempted to undermine Israeli democracy by working with the anti-Zionist radical left in failed attempts to overthrow the elected Israeli government.”

Naftali Bennett, who served as the country's prime minister between 2021 and 2022, also dismissed the accusation. He wrote on X, “As a former Israeli Prime Minister, with the Mossad having reported directly to me, I say to you with 100% certainty: The accusation that Jeffrey Epstein somehow worked for Israel or the Mossad ran a blackmail ring is categorically and totally false. Epstein’s conduct, both the criminal and the merely despicable, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Mossad or the State of Israel. Epstein never worked for the Mossad.”

Yossi Cohen, the former Mossad director, also called out these claims and said that Epstein had "absolutely nothing" to do with the country's intelligence agency. He further said, "not an agent, not an operative, nothing."

The denials come amid intense renewed scrutiny of emails, financial records, and communications included in the materials shared by the DOJ.

Barak said, "At times during my occasional visits to the United States, I was sometimes a participant in a breakfast or lunch or dinner at his New York townhouse, together with respected American public figures," Barak said. “At no point in my dealings with him did I ever witness any improper behavior, and I certainly never participated in anything like that.”

Newly surfaced materials further detail Barak’s personal and professional interactions with Epstein, including visits to Epstein’s New York apartment and meetings facilitated by the financier.

The newly released documents indicate that Barak and his then-wife, Nava Barak, stayed at Epstein’s New York residence during trips to the United States. Additional communications point to financial connections and introductions arranged by Epstein, including meetings with high-profile business leaders. The records also contain internal correspondence referencing allegations, cautions, and speculation related to Epstein’s conduct.