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Was Epstein a Mossad agent? 'Vicious wave of slander and lies,' says ex-Israeli PM
Rumours of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein being a former Mossad agent have been floating around ever since Tucker Carlson triggered discussions about the unfounded claim. Now, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has rejected the allegations, describing them as 'a vicious wave of slander and lies' against Israel.
'The accusation that Jeffrey Epstein somehow worked for Israel or the Mossad running a blackmail ring is categorically and totally false,' Bennet said, adding, 'There's a vicious wave of slander and lies against my country and my people, and we just won't take it anymore.'
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Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was first charged with sex offences in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home. Ever since then, he has been fighting legal battles in a complicated turn of events due to his links with US President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month that there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful figures.
What did Tucker Carlson say?
Bennet's denial followed recent remarks by right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, who claimed — without evidence — that Epstein may have been working on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
Carlson made the comments at a conservative conference, suggesting Epstein's activities could have been part of a foreign blackmail operation.
Allegations of ties between Epstein and Israeli intelligence have circulated for years, largely fueled by Epstein's association with media mogul Robert Maxwell and his daughter, Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as meetings with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Some reports also speculated a link between Epstein and Israeli intelligence due to shared connections with the Maxwells.
'Credible Epstein files should be released'
The Epstein case is taking Trump's popularity down by a smidge, with the MAGA backers pushing the president to release files related to the case.
Trump said Tuesday the US Justice Department should release all 'credible' information from its probe into Epstein.
'The attorney general has handled that very well,' the Republican leader said of Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, when he was asked about the case at the White House.
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Trump repeated his claim that the Epstein files were 'made up' by his Democratic predecessors in the White House – even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would 'probably' release them.
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