Recent investigations and newly unveiled documents shedding light on the connection between former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Jeffrey Epstein have rekindled speculations that Epstein had ties to Israel’s Mossad. However, this theory has been firmly refuted by both Israeli intelligence sources and prominent political figures.
Former officials from Israel’s intelligence community told Fox News Digital that Epstein never served Mossad, labeling the claims as unfounded and misaligned with the agency’s operational methods.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly dismissed these claims, stating on X, “The close relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Ehud Barak does not imply that Epstein was an agent of Israel. In fact, it suggests quite the contrary.”
Netanyahu further intensified his critique, commenting, “Still fixated on his electoral defeat from over two decades ago, Barak has persistently sought to destabilize Israeli democracy by collaborating with the anti-Zionist radical left in failed attempts to topple the legitimately elected Israeli government.”
Adding to the chorus of denials, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett categorically rejected the allegations. He stated, “As a former Israeli Prime Minister, having had direct oversight of the Mossad, I can assert with complete certainty: the claim that Jeffrey Epstein was employed by Israel or managed a blackmail operation for the Mossad is wholly unfounded. Epstein’s actions, both criminal and otherwise contemptible, were entirely unrelated to Mossad or the State of Israel. Epstein was never affiliated with Mossad.”
In a related image, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is depicted in this photo from the estate of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This image was released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on December 12, 2025. (House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via Reuters)
Ex-Mossad director Yossi Cohen also rejected the claims in a podcast interview with The Free Press, saying Epstein had “absolutely nothing” to do with the Mossad — “not an agent, not an operative, nothing.”
The strong denials come amid renewed scrutiny of emails, financial records and communications included in U.S. Justice Department materials and other public reporting, none of which indicate that Epstein cooperated with Israeli intelligence.
Barak, who served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and later as defense minister in Netanyahu’s government, has become one of Netanyahu’s most vocal political opponents.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during a press conference on July 25, 2019, in Tel Aviv. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Barak’s office fired back, describing Netanyahu’s remarks as politically motivated and reiterating that he regrets ever meeting Epstein while denying any wrongdoing.
“Barak has repeatedly and publicly stated that he regrets ever meeting Jeffrey Epstein. There is no credible allegation—none—that Barak engaged in any illegal or inappropriate conduct,” the statement said.
Barak’s office also called Netanyahu’s attacks “the desperate acts of a failed and panicked politician” and “a pathetic attempt to divert attention from his catastrophic record,” accusing the prime minister of attempting to shift blame for national failures.
Newly surfaced materials continue to document Barak’s personal and professional interactions with Epstein, including stays at Epstein’s New York apartment and meetings arranged through the financier.
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in federal custody in 2019. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)
Emails cited in document releases describe the apartment as being used by Barak and his then-wife during visits to the United States, with staff coordinating logistics and maintenance requests tied to the property.
Other communications referenced financial ties and introductions facilitated by Epstein, including meetings with prominent business figures, as well as broader correspondence and internal notes referencing allegations, warnings and speculation surrounding Epstein’s activities.
Barak has acknowledged meeting Epstein multiple times and said he regrets the association. In a previous interview, he said he never witnessed improper behavior and never participated in anything illegal.
“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.”
