Kathrine Frich
A new trove of Jeffrey Epstein files has landed in the public domain, and with it, old questions have returned with force.
The documents have renewed debate over whether Epstein’s global connections were merely social or something far more secretive.
Renewed speculation
Messages released by the US Department of Justice have prompted renewed claims that Epstein may have worked for Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, according to reporting by The Times.
The allegations have circulated for years in US media circles and gained wider attention after being promoted by commentators such as Tucker Carlson.
The new documents include claims from a confidential FBI informant who alleged Epstein had intelligence connections.
Contradictory messages
Among the released material are messages between Epstein and author Deepak Chopra, who invited Epstein to visit Israel in 2017.
“Come to Israel with us. Relax and have fun with interesting people,” Chopra wrote, according to the documents.
Epstein declined, replying: “In another location. I don’t like Israel. Not at all.”
Why he refused the invitation remains unclear, and the documents show conflicting signals about his relationship with the country.
FBI claims
An FBI report from the Los Angeles field office dated October 2020 said a bureau source had become “convinced that Epstein was a co-opted Mossad agent.”
The report claimed Epstein was “trained as a spy” and alleged links to intelligence circles through his longtime lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
Dershowitz rejected the suggestion. “No intelligence agency would really trust him,” he said.
Barak connection
The files also detail Epstein’s long association with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak.
Newly released records show Barak and his wife stayed at Epstein’s New York apartment and maintained contact even after Epstein’s 2006 arrest.
In one 2018 email, Epstein asked Barak to “clarify that I do not work for Mossad. :)”
Expert doubts
Lynette Nusbacher, a former British Army intelligence officer, told The Times there was no evidence proving Epstein acted as an intelligence agent.
“There is a huge, much-discussed mystery about the source of his money,” she said, but added there was no proof he was anything beyond “the horrible person he was convicted of being.”
She explained that intelligence agencies distinguish between officers, agents and informal resources.
Maxwell shadow
Epstein’s close relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell has further fueled speculation.
Her father, media tycoon Robert Maxwell, was long rumored to have intelligence ties, though many experts say no evidence supports those claims.
Epstein himself speculated in emails that Maxwell had been assassinated by Mossad, repeating theories advanced in books and media reports.
Most experts consulted by The Times said they had never seen evidence linking Epstein to Mossad.
An Israeli author familiar with intelligence circles summed up the uncertainty bluntly: “Anyone can be a spy.”
Sources: The Times, US Department of Justice, Digi24.
