(JNS) Former Israeli prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert were listed as associates of Jeffrey Epstein in the convicted sex offender’s records, according to files declassified by the U.S. Department of Justice last week.
The release of the roughly 200 pages from the “Epstein files” by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi—mainly containing flight logs and lists of associates—marked the first time Olmert had been linked to the accused sex trafficker.
Other Israeli individuals listed in the declassified documents included Arik Gutman, Avi Gil, Efrat Evani Duud, Elisa Eshed and Neima Yakhof.
Gil, a former Israeli diplomat, served under Shimon Peres for some 30 years in various capacities, including as his chief of staff, while Eshed’s entry in Epstein’s file lists an official Israel Tax Authority email address.
The released documents did not contain proof that anyone other than Epstein committed crimes, and no incriminating files were published.
According to previous reports, Barak visited Epstein at least 36 times between 2013 and 2017. The meetings came well after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. However, Barak has claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s activities.
Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli tweeted a copy of Barak’s record in the Epstein documents (that were released in 2023) on Friday morning, adding: “Good morning.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also mentioned the affair during a Knesset speech on Monday as he launched an attack on Israeli media.
“They invite Ehud Barak again and again to the studios—I believe also today—they interview him with great respect and dignity, but strangely, he is not asked a single question on the subject,” the premier claimed.
“The media are not news channels; they are fake channels,” the prime minister charged in a heated exchange with opposition lawmakers.
בוקר אור @barak_ehud pic.twitter.com/NqlCYDmBff
— עמיחי שיקלי – Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) February 28, 2025
