Israel

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak once praised convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as “a collector of people,” according to newly published letters and photos obtained by The New York Times. Barak and his wife, Nili Priel, presented Epstein with a signed map of Israel and a birthday letter in 2016 that lauded his “boundless curiosity” and wished him “many more years of hosting friends at your table.” The gift was embossed in a leather-bound compilation marking Epstein’s 63rd birthday. The Times also published a photograph showing Epstein alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, underscoring the financier’s wide circle of powerful acquaintances years after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting a minor. Epstein’s home featured an array of macabre décor, including framed prosthetic eyeballs and a taxidermied tiger, as well as snapshots of Epstein with global figures such as Pope John Paul II, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Barak, who served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001, has not publicly explained his relationship with Epstein. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The revelations renew questions about Epstein’s ties to political and intelligence figures. Epstein’s alleged links to Israeli intelligence have long been the subject of speculation but have never been substantiated. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on related charges.