New files expose Epstein’s Israel ties in Libya scheme

Newly released US documents have revealed that Jeffrey Epstein sought to profit from Libya’s post-2011 chaos, fuelling renewed scrutiny over his ties to international intelligence agencies.

The documents released by the United States Department of Justice have exposed an alleged plan involving the disgraced financier to exploit Libya’s instability for financial gain following the 2011 NATO-backed toppling of Muammar Gaddaffi, as reported by Middle East Monitor on January 31.

The files suggest that Epstein, who has been convicted of operating a child prostitution network, sought to profit from the political and economic chaos that followed the war in Libya by targeting state-owned assets frozen overseas. Internally, the scheme was framed as a contribution to Libya’s “reconstruction”.

Email exchanges dating back to July 2011 show Epstein discussing the plan with his associate Greg Brown, including proposals to work with former members of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Israel’s Mossad. The messages indicates that coercive tactics, including blackmail, were considered as a means of pressuring Libyan officials to gain access to, or control over, Libyan financial holdings abroad.

Although Israeli state officials have consistently denied the connection between Mossad and Epstein, the latest files further point to the close working relationship that he had with the Israeli state.

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak met with Epstein dozens of times and became his business partner in 2015, even after Jeffrey’s 2008 conviction for child prostitution. They met at least 30 times between 2015-2017, including trips together on Barak’s private jet.

Before they became business partners, Epstein provided counsel to the former Israeli prime minister on a range of subjects. He advised Barak to “look at” the controversial tech company Palantir, which was founded in 2003 by the CIA’s venture capital arm and has since been utilised by the Israeli state in its genocidal war on Gaza.

The emails from Epstein to Greg Brown on Libya further adds fuel to the fire that Epstein was embedded within Israeli and western intelligences agencies.

One email estimated the value of Libya’s frozen overseas assets at approximately $80 billion, with $32.4 billion held in the United States. The same message suggested that the true scale of Libyan wealth lost through looting or embezzlement could be significantly higher, potentially three to four times that amount.

The documents also point to the willingness of former British and Israeli intelligence officials to assist in tracing Libyan assets. While framed as an effort to “recover” funds, the initiative was described as an opportunity for enormous financial profit by exploiting the disorder that followed Libya’s conflict.

Middle East Monitor, The Times of Israel, Middle East Eye and agencies, Maghrebi.org