Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stirred controversy after sharing on social media an article from the American magazine Jacobin, known for its anti-Israel viewpoints.
Although Netanyahu appeared to share the article to draw attention to alleged links between convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his political rival Ehud Barak, the move triggered backlash because the same article suggested that Epstein worked for Israeli intelligence and described Netanyahu’s 2019 rule as extreme and mired in corruption, The Times of Israel reported.
Netanyahu shared the article without any comment, seemingly focusing only on the part discussing recently uncovered messages from Epstein.
In those messages, the late sexual predator claimed he had advised former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak during the 2019 election campaign.
The article stated that the emails confirmed a series of revelations in recent years showing that the two men were much closer than Barak has publicly admitted.
Barak and Netanyahu have long been political enemies, and Barak has become one of the current prime minister’s most vocal critics, accusing him of posing a threat to Israeli democracy.
However, the Jacobin article also delves into Epstein’s alleged ties with Israeli intelligence, highlighting longstanding rumors that the pedophile was a collaborator or operative for Israeli intelligence services.
Accusations of Epstein’s links to Mossad have circulated for years, based on his Jewish heritage, frequent visits to Israel, and his friendship with Barak—one of many influential figures with whom Epstein maintained close ties.
It remains unclear why Netanyahu chose to promote such claims, or whether he was aware of the full content of the article he shared.
The move was condemned by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, widely seen as Netanyahu’s most likely challenger in the next elections.
Bennett accused the prime minister of giving legitimacy to an “antisemitic and anti-Israel” magazine.
“This article politically benefits Netanyahu because it attacks someone he hates,” Bennett said.
“But when the head of the Israeli government shares content from there, it gives a major boost and legitimacy to a magazine filled with accusations against Israel of genocide, apartheid, and war crimes.”
“Israel’s enemies, including the magazine itself, are already celebrating this as proof of conspiracy theories against Israel,” he added.
Claims linking Epstein to Mossad are not new.
Earlier this year, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed that Epstein worked for Mossad and that he had never met anyone who believed otherwise.
Netanyahu’s move also drew attention from American commentators.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly shared his post, commenting: “So I guess it’s not antisemitic to ask whether Epstein was an Israeli intelligence operative and whether we shouldn’t simply take Ehud Barak’s word that he wasn’t? I see.”
