Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a fierce counteroffensive in the escalating 2026 Epstein files controversy, turning explosive allegations into a direct assault on his longtime rival Ehud Barak.
In a pointed X post amid the fresh wave of unsealed DOJ documents, Netanyahu declared: “Epstein’s unusually close ties to Ehud Barak prove he was not an Israeli agent. They prove the exact opposite.”
The bold reversal weaponizes the well-documented decade-long relationship between Epstein—the convicted sex offender and alleged trafficker—and former Israeli PM Barak: repeated meetings, visits to Epstein’s luxurious properties, emails, flights, business discussions, and funding questions that have long fueled Mossad conspiracy theories.
Netanyahu insists these personal connections debunk any notion of official Israeli intelligence involvement, while accusing Barak of being mired in election resentment and conspiring with anti-Zionist elements to weaken Israeli democracy.
This comes as newly released files highlight those very Barak-Epstein links alongside FBI informant memos suggesting Epstein could have been a “co-opted Mossad asset” under Barak’s influence—claims Netanyahu dismisses outright.
No definitive proof of Mossad ties has emerged, yet Netanyahu’s scorching rebuttal widens Israel’s political fault lines and leaves a gripping question unanswered: is this a resolute defense of the state, or a calculated deflection from revelations that refuse to fade?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mounted a ferocious counterattack in the raging 2026 Epstein files saga, transforming the scandal into a pointed political strike against his perennial rival, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
In a February 6, 2026, X post that quickly went viral, Netanyahu asserted: “Epstein’s unusually close ties to Ehud Barak prove he was not an Israeli agent. They prove the exact opposite.” He intensified the offensive by claiming Barak remains trapped in bitterness over an election defeat more than two decades ago and has “obsessively” allied with the “anti-Zionist radical left” in repeated, unsuccessful efforts to topple Israel’s elected government through orchestrated protests, street violence, and fabricated media campaigns.
The statement arrives against the backdrop of the U.S. Department of Justice’s sweeping release of millions of Epstein-related documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The files revive intense focus on Barak’s decade-spanning relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose 2008 plea deal and subsequent crimes continue to shock. Documents catalog extensive contacts: more than 30 visits to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and other properties between 2013 and 2017, email correspondence, shared flights, collaborative business interests including the surveillance-technology venture Carbyne, and Barak’s prolonged use of an Epstein-managed apartment fitted with Israeli-sourced security equipment. Recordings also capture discussions ranging from post-political financial models to hypothetical Israeli policy ideas.
A 2020 FBI memorandum included in the tranche, drawn from a single confidential human source, alleged Epstein was a “co-opted Mossad agent” who had been “trained as a spy under” Barak, set against claimed internal Israeli political animosities (including the informant’s claim that Barak viewed Netanyahu as a “criminal”). The source further referenced Epstein’s attorney Alan Dershowitz allegedly conveying that Epstein “belonged to both U.S. and allied intelligence services.” These assertions remain uncorroborated hearsay, unsupported by any formal U.S. or Israeli investigation.
Netanyahu’s rhetorical inversion—recasting the intimate personal friendship as conclusive evidence against state-level involvement—mirrors consistent denials from Israeli officialdom. Former Mossad directors, ex-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and intelligence community veterans have rejected Mossad-Epstein links as groundless conspiracy theories incompatible with operational realities. Israeli sources have described the persistent speculation as politically motivated smears.
Barak has repeatedly expressed profound regret for ever associating with Epstein, issuing public apologies for the pain and embarrassment caused and confirming he severed all contact in 2019 once the full extent of Epstein’s criminality became undeniable. He insists the relationship was strictly personal, non-criminal, and that he had no knowledge of or involvement in any illicit activities.
No concrete, verifiable evidence within the unsealed files establishes Epstein as a Mossad operative—or as an asset for any intelligence service. Mainstream reporting continues to characterize the enduring Mossad theories as speculative, often amplified in fringe online spaces without factual foundation.
Netanyahu’s incendiary response exploits Israel’s deep political polarization, repurposing the Epstein controversy as a weapon against Barak while deflecting attention from broader questions about elite networks and influence. Whether it represents a steadfast defense of Israel’s institutions or a strategic effort to obscure disquieting associations remains fiercely debated. The documents sustain scrutiny of power, finance, and geopolitics intersections, but official positions in both Jerusalem and Washington hold firm: no proven espionage connection exists.
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