Netanyahu shares article alleging Jeffrey Epstein tried to influence Israel’s elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked controversy after sharing an article that alleges the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once had ties to the country’s intelligence services and “claimed to have meddled in Israel’s elections.”

The Prime Minister posted the piece from the American socialist publication Jacobin on X (previously Twitter), amplifying long-circulating rumors and bringing them into the political mainstream. The article specifically questioned Epstein’s connection to Israeli intelligence, highlighting “long-standing claims and rumors that the billionaire pedophile had been an asset or otherwise worked for Israeli intelligence.”

Netanyahu’s post follows a recent revelation that newly uncovered text messages showed Epstein consulted with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak—a longtime political foe of Netanyahu—during the country’s 2019 parliamentary election.

Also read | Has Trump opened a can of worms by signing the Epstein files’ release order?

The Jacobin report alleged that leaked emails involving Barak suggested Epstein was involved in activities on behalf of the government, stating that the financier was “quietly carrying out work on behalf of the Israeli government.” The article is titled, ‘Jeffrey Epstein Claimed to Have Meddled in Israel’s Elections’.

However, the report itself noted that despite the various connections—including Epstein’s friendship with Barak, his numerous trips to Israel, and his Jewish background—there is “no substantial evidence of any ties between the Israeli intelligence and Epstein.”

The action by the Israeli PM comes as the United States Congress overwhelmingly moved to compel the Justice Department to release its full, unredacted files on the Epstein investigation.