Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used the renewed attention to the Epstein files to attack his predecessor Ehud Barak, declaring that Jeffrey Epstein "did not work for Israel."
The Jerusalem Post reported that former Prime Minister Barak's ties to Epstein received widespread media attention after the two met several times in 2015 and 2016, years after Epstein's first criminal conviction.
Photographs circulated at the time showed Barack entering Epstein's residence in Manhattan, New York.
In his first public comment on the Epstein documents, Netanyahu said that "Epstein's unusual and close relationship with Ehud Barak does not suggest that Epstein worked for Israel, it proves the opposite."
"Stuck in the wake of his electoral defeat more than two decades ago, Barak has for years obsessively attempted to undermine Israeli democracy by collaborating with the radical anti-Zionist left in failed attempts to overthrow the elected Israeli government," Netanyahu said, referring to his administration.
Netanyahu accused Barak of engaging in "public and behind-the-scenes activities to undermine the government of Israel, including inciting mass protest movements, causing unrest, and fueling false media narratives."
Otherwise, Barak has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu for years and has made repeated calls for the government's departure. /AA
