Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
Newly released files related to the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein reveal activities that go far beyond his well-documented sexual crimes and relationships with global political and financial elites. According to the documents, Epstein was involved in an organized network that financially supported Israeli military institutions, Zionist organizations, athletes presented as “ambassadors” for Israel, as well as academic and media bodies working to improve Israel’s Image abroad.
Was Epstein working as a foreign agent for the State of Israel?
An American working as a foreign agent for Israel—or any foreign principal—must report this to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) if they engage in political activities, lobbying, or public relations on behalf of the foreign government. Failure to register can result in criminal penalties, including fines up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison.
The latest tranche of documents, released in early February 2026 under a transparency law passed by the U.S. Congress, includes millions of pages of correspondence, financial records, and judicial documents that had remained inaccessible to journalists and researchers for years.
The network operated—from the charitable foundation allegedly used as a financial cover, to the organizations, universities, and athletes that benefited from Epstein’s funding, and finally to what FBI reports suggest about his potential relationship with Israeli intelligence.
Investigators from Arabi Post tracked every reference to “Israel” or Jewish organizations within the files, then cross-checked those references against records from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. One entity emerged at the center of the network: THE C.O.U.Q. FOUNDATION, INC., established by Epstein in 2001 and chaired by him.
According to the records, this foundation functioned as a primary channel through which donations were transferred to various Jewish and Zionist organizations. In addition, another entity bearing Epstein’s name appeared as a donor to the organization “Friends of the Israel Defense Forces” (FIDF) in a financial document dated 2005.
The documents show that Epstein financially supported several prominent organizations known for backing Israel.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) was founded in 1981 and headquartered in New York, FIDF is the official organization responsible for fundraising on behalf of Israeli soldiers and their families. IRS records indicate that Epstein’s foundation donated $25,000 to FIDF in 2005, with references to earlier support through the “Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation,” though the amounts were not specified.
Jewish National Fund (JNF): Established in 1901 to purchase land for Jewish settlement in Palestine prior to the creation of Israel, the JNF later expanded into land development and agricultural projects and operates internationally. Records show that Epstein donated $15,000 to the JNF in 2005.
Hillel Foundation: Active on U.S. university campuses, Hillel is known for promoting the Israeli narrative and opposing boycott and divestment campaigns. Epstein’s foundation donated $50,000 to Hillel in 2005. An email dated 2010 from the head of Hillel at Harvard University shows that Epstein continued to be approached for donations even after his criminal conviction, thanking him for past support and requesting further contributions.
National Council of Jewish Women: IRS records indicate that the organization received funding from Epstein’s foundation in both 2005 and 2006.
Seeds of Peace: An organization that runs summer camps in the United States bringing together Palestinian and Israeli youth under the banner of dialogue. Critics accuse it of normalization efforts that obscure the realities of occupation. Memos from Epstein’s lawyers indicate that the organization was listed among beneficiaries to portray Epstein as a “peace advocate” in dealings with authorities.
The files also reveal a sports-related dimension of Epstein’s support network. An email sent to Epstein in 2013 by Eyal Tiberger, CEO of the World Maccabi Union, expresses deep gratitude for a $60,000 donation designated to support young Jewish athletes.
The stated purpose of the funding was to strengthen “Jewish identity and heritage” and prepare these athletes to become “ambassadors for the State of Israel” in their respective countries and communities. Tiberger invited Epstein to attend the opening ceremony of the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem as a VIP guest, describing the event as the largest Zionist Jewish sporting gathering in the world.
This funding is particularly notable given the reputation of Israel’s Maccabi football club, whose fans have been widely criticized for racist and anti-Arab chants. In December 2025, UEFA imposed fines on the club following repeated incidents of racist behavior, linking Epstein’s donations to a broader system using sports to promote Zionist Identity internationally.
The documents show that Epstein was not merely a proactive donor, but also a direct target of fundraising efforts by Israeli and pro-Israel institutions.
Among these is a letter from Amos Gayer, Vice President for External Relations at the University of Haifa between 2008 and 2013, addressing Epstein as a potential donor and inviting him to fund a university project at a time when Epstein’s reputation was already heavily burdened by allegations of sexual abuse of minors.
Correspondence also includes communications with the U.S.–Israel Binational Science Foundation, as well as a letter from an American organization called The Israel Project, which presented itself to Epstein as a media and political lobbying platform supporting Israel. The organization explicitly requested his donation to a special fund aimed at influencing media coverage, public opinion, and policymakers in the United States and globally.
Epstein and the Mossad: Intelligence Links in FBI Reports
Beyond financial trails, the files reveal a highly sensitive dimension concerning Epstein’s potential links to intelligence agencies. An FBI report, citing a “confidential human source,” states that Epstein maintained connections with U.S. and allied intelligence services.
The report claims that Israel’s Mossad conducted debriefings of Epstein’s phone calls with his lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. It also cites former U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta as saying that Epstein’s case was “above his pay grade” because it was “linked to intelligence.”
Acosta was tasked with getting Epstein a sweet-heart deal in Florida which saw Epstein spending his jail time at home, when first convicted. When Miami journalist, Julie K. Brown, started investigating why Epstein was given such a lenient sentence, she blew the top off the Epstein “Perversion of Justice” and her book tells the tale.
Another FBI report from 2020—largely redacted—includes an interview with an unnamed individual who expressed fear that Epstein may have been “an Israeli spy.”
Additional testimonies link Epstein to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, with allegations that Epstein received intelligence training under Barak’s supervision as part of a broader network involving senior politicians and business figures.
Emails sent by Epstein on May 20, 2012, further reveal his ideological positions, in which he wrote that “Palestine has no historical existence” and that it “was never an Arab or Palestinian independent state.”
On January 31, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the release of more than three million additional Epstein-related documents to the public, while allowing members of Congress full in-person access without permission to digitally copy the files.
Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of operating a sexual exploitation network targeting underage girls, has long been at the center of global controversy. His death sparked widespread speculation and conspiracy theories suggesting he may have been killed to protect powerful figures.
The documents include references to numerous prominent individuals, including Britain’s Prince Andrew, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, current U.S. President Donald Trump, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and singer Michael Jackson.
One of the most explosive disclosures involves a leaked audio recording attributed to Ehud Barak, in which he allegedly asks Epstein to help facilitate the migration of one million Russian-speaking individuals to Israel. In the recording, Barak reportedly states that such a number would dramatically alter Israel’s demographic, economic, and cultural structure.
Barak is quoted as saying that Israel could easily absorb this population but should be “more selective” than in previous immigration waves, emphasizing what he described as the “quality” of new immigrants. He reportedly argued that social pressure could accelerate integration and suggested broadening religious definitions of Jewish identity—even encouraging conversion—citing biblical figures to justify this approach.
Barak was referencing the Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, which Israelis have treated as second class citizens because their skin is black. Israelis are highly racist. They feel only Jews are humans, all others are subhuman, and even Black Jews are not the “quality” they want as neighbors in Israel.
Taken together, the newly released Epstein files depict a complex and deeply controversial network that intertwined money, politics, academia, sports, media influence, and intelligence operations.
As more files are examined, the Epstein case continues to expand far beyond the crimes of a single individual—pointing instead to a system of power, protection, and influence that operated for decades in the shadows.
Steven Sahiounie is a Two time award winning journalist
