Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a sharp counterattack in the fallout from the 2026 Epstein files, bluntly denying that Jeffrey Epstein—the convicted sex offender and alleged trafficker—ever served as a Mossad agent.
Posting directly on X, Netanyahu stated: “Jeffrey Epstein’s unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesn’t suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite.”
The pointed remark flips the narrative on its head, using Epstein’s decade-long personal and business ties to former Israeli PM Ehud Barak—multiple meetings, visits to Epstein’s properties, and shared discussions—as evidence against any official Israeli intelligence link rather than proof of one.
This comes amid unsealed DOJ documents detailing those connections, including FBI informant claims that Epstein was possibly a “Mossad asset” trained under Barak, plus emails and funding questions that have fueled global speculation.
Netanyahu escalates further by accusing Barak, his longtime political rival, of obsessing over past election losses and working with anti-Zionist elements to undermine Israeli democracy.
Yet with no smoking-gun evidence of Mossad involvement emerging, the denial sharpens internal Israeli divisions and leaves a burning question: is this a firm rebuttal of conspiracy theories—or a strategic deflection amid uncomfortable revelations?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired back forcefully in the escalating controversy surrounding the 2026 Epstein files release, categorically denying that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ever functioned as a Mossad agent.
In an X post on February 6, 2026, Netanyahu wrote: “Jeffrey Epstein’s unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesn’t suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite.” He further accused his longtime political rival, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of being fixated on a decades-old election defeat and collaborating with the “anti-Zionist radical left” to destabilize Israeli democracy through protests, unrest, and disinformation campaigns.
The statement directly counters persistent online speculation and media reports amplified by the U.S. Department of Justice’s disclosure of over 3.5 million pages of Epstein-related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Those files detail Barak’s extensive personal and business interactions with Epstein, including frequent visits to his New York properties (more than 30 between 2013 and 2017), emails, flights, joint ventures like the surveillance-tech company Carbyne, and discussions on post-political financial models. Additional revelations include Israeli officials providing security measures at an Epstein-managed Manhattan apartment where Barak stayed, and Epstein’s foundations donating to pro-IDF groups.
A 2020 FBI memorandum in the files, citing a confidential human source, claimed Epstein was a “co-opted Mossad agent” “trained as a spy under” Barak amid alleged Israeli political tensions. The informant referenced Epstein’s attorney Alan Dershowitz purportedly stating Epstein “belonged to both U.S. and allied intelligence services.” These remain unverified assertions from a single source, lacking substantiation in any official U.S. or Israeli investigation.
Netanyahu’s rebuttal aligns with broader Israeli dismissals. Former Mossad directors and officials, including ex-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, have rejected Mossad-Epstein links as baseless conspiracy theories inconsistent with agency practices. Israeli intelligence sources have described such claims as unfounded smears.
Barak, for his part, has expressed deep regret over the association in interviews following the releases, apologizing for the discomfort caused and insisting he cut ties once Epstein’s full crimes became evident in 2019. He has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of illicit activities and maintained the relationship was personal and non-criminal.
No concrete evidence in the unsealed documents establishes Epstein as an intelligence operative for Israel—or any country. Mainstream reporting frames ongoing Mossad theories as speculative, often driven by online amplification rather than facts. Netanyahu’s framing repurposes the personal ties as ammunition against Barak, highlighting deep-seated rivalries within Israeli politics.
Whether this constitutes a definitive quashing of the allegations or a tactical redirection amid politically charged revelations is a matter of interpretation. The files have intensified scrutiny of elite networks, but official stances from Washington and Jerusalem hold that no espionage role has been proven, leaving the debate polarized between conspiracy narratives and institutional denials.
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