The Israeli government installed security equipment to control access to former Prime Minister Barak’s apartment in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment

The Israeli government installed security equipment and controlled access to a Manhattan apartment building run by late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an investigative report published by Drop Site News said.According to the report, according to a series of emails recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Israeli officials began coordinating directly with Epstein’s staff in early 2016 to secure a residence at 301 East 66th Street, where former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak often lived for a long time.The property is technically owned by a company linked to Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, but the disgraced financier effectively controls it, the report said. According to Al Jazeera, units in the building were frequently loaned out to Epstein’s associates and used to house underage models.Barak served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001. Under Israeli law, former prime ministers receive state-funded security services after leaving office. The documents describe a direct business relationship between Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Epstein’s enterprises.According to reports, Rafi Shlomo, the former director of protective services at the Israeli mission and head of Barak’s security forces, personally controlled access to the apartment. Shlomo allegedly conducted background checks on Epstein’s employees and cleaning crews and held meetings with them to coordinate the installation of surveillance equipment.The report said that structural changes made by the Israeli government required Epstein’s permission.In a January 2016 email, Barak’s wife, Nili Priell, discussed the installation of sirens and surveillance tools with Epstein’s longtime associate Lesley Groff. Prior noted that the system includes sensors on the windows and remote access capabilities.“Before you need someone to get into the apartment, they can overpower the system from a distance [sic],” Prior wrote. “The only thing to do was to call Raffi at the consulate and let him know who was coming in and when. “Grove later confirmed to Barak and Prior that Epstein personally authorized the physical changes to the property, writing: “Jeffrey said he didn’t mind the holes in the wall and that was all good!”Regular communications continued between the Israeli delegation and Epstein’s representatives in 2016 and 2017 to manage the maid’s access and coordinate Barak’s subsequent visits, the report said.After Epstein died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, Barrack sought to downplay his relationship with the financier, claiming Epstein never supported him or paid him when they met.Barak’s rivals in Israel have seized on the political implications of the relationship, the report said. According to reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently weaponized the newly released documents, arguing that the relationships involved Barak and not Israel.“The unusually close relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Ehud Barak does not indicate that Epstein worked for Israel. The facts prove the opposite,” Netanyahu said, accusing Barak of working with the “anti-Zionist radical left” to undermine Israel’s current government.However, emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice show that this entanglement is not limited to Barak but also involves other active Israeli state officials, the report said.According to reports, Yoni Koren, Barrack’s long-time aide who died in 2023, was also a frequent visitor to the 66th Street apartment. Congressional investigations and leaked emails allegedly show that Coren stayed at homes controlled by Epstein on multiple occasions, including in 2013 when he was the head of the Israeli Defense Bureau. Further records show that Coren continued to use the apartment while he was receiving treatment in New York until Epstein was finally arrested in 2019, the report said.The report said the relationship between Epstein and Israel has been in the spotlight since millions of documents related to Epstein’s criminal investigation were released. In addition to interactions with global elites such as Barak, the documents document Epstein’s financial support for Israeli groups such as Friends of the Army and settler group the Jewish National Fund, as well as his ties to Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, the report said.According to reports, Barak expressed remorse for his relationship with Epstein. Barrack allegedly maintained a close personal and business relationship with the financier despite pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and being jailed. According to reports, the former Israeli leader claimed that he still did not know the full scope of Epstein’s crimes before a broader federal investigation was launched in 2019.