(José Niño, Headline USA) A trove of leaked emails examined by Drop Site News reporters Murtaza Hussain and Ryan Grim reveal the extraordinary role Jeffrey Epstein played in brokering a secret security deal between Israel and Mongolia. These emails were originally posted by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a non-profit whistleblower site.
The disgraced financier, who later died in prison in 2019 following charges related to sex trafficking, actively coordinated meetings and policy proposals that ultimately produced formal diplomatic ties between the two nations. In this case, Epstein used former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as an intermediary.
Barak visited Mongolia in April 2013, just one month after leaving his position as Israel’s Defense Minister. While the former prime minister met with President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and top security officials in Ulaanbaatar, Epstein orchestrated events from New York through constant email correspondence and strategic introductions.
The plan originated in January 2013 while Barak still served in government. On April 21, 2013, Barak arranged a meeting at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion for an “overview of the coming days” before departing for Mongolia.
In @DropSiteNews today, we have a new story revealing that not only did Jeffrey Epstein broker deals for former Israeli govt officials, those operations were also sometimes in direct service of the Israeli government itself.
Our first in a series looks at a security deal he… pic.twitter.com/oYctIbokA1
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) September 28, 2025
The Drop Site News report noted that Epstein coordinated with Terje Rød-Larsen, president of the International Peace Institute, who simultaneously visited Mongolia and signed cooperation agreements with Mongolian officials.
The emails reveal Barak pursued multiple business interests during his Mongolia visit. He contacted Russian-Israeli oligarch Viktor Vekselberg about potential opportunities, writing, “I’m in Mongolia. Already met with most of the leaders from the President downwards and several business people…I have a thought that could probably help.”
Epstein soon began mobilizing his network to join IPI’s Mongolia advisory council. On September 28, 2013, he reached out to Barak about collaborating with Lawrence Summers, a Harvard economist and former senior official under both the Clinton and Obama administrations: “spent the afternoon with Larry Summers, I think he would work well with you.” Barak welcomed the idea, replying, “I think greatly of him especially in re to advise for Sovereign Heads. We can complement each other effectively with a lot of synergies.”
In December 2013, IPI submitted a “Mongolia Presidential Advisory Agreement” to Mongolian officials, setting up a group of experts to advise on institutional reforms designed to promote “global peace and security.”
The agreement also included a $100,000 payment for each member of the advisory board, according to a 2020 Dagens Næringsliv investigation.
The board convened for the first time on January 24, 2014, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Davos, Switzerland, with the Mongolian President, National Security Advisor, Rød-Larsen, and Lawrence Summers in attendance. Joining by phone were Kjell Bondevik, Kevin Rudd, Barak, and Epstein, whose professional affiliation was listed as “financier.”
By September 2015, Epstein was hosting dinners for the major players at his New York mansion, including Barak and top Mongolian officials, reinforcing his role both as fixer and facilitator.
In late 2017, Israeli and Mongolian officials met in Ulaanbaatar to finalize cooperation on emergency services and the adoption of Israeli technologies. Israeli military officers would later participate in joint exercises in Mongolia in 2019, according to The Times of Israel.
Barak has publicly downplayed his connections throughout these exchanges. He insisted that his interactions with Epstein were infrequent, stating that he saw him “on occasion” and had no knowledge of his involvement in sex trafficking or the exploitation of young girls.
Portraying Epstein as a man who hid his true nature from those around him, Barak called him “a terrible version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
Per the Drop Site News report, pro-Palestinian hacking collective Handala announced the leak of “Israel Prime Minister Emails” on October 2, 2024, releasing a trove of material that included several of Barak’s private photos — among them a “mirror selfie,” a Crusader-style knight costume, and his Israeli passport.
Portions of the leaked emails had previously surfaced in Reason magazine’s reporting on Epstein’s connections to Barak and prominent figures in the global technology sector.
Handala, which emerged in December 2023, has specialized in targeting Israeli political figures and institutions with data breaches and public disclosures. According to an analysis by Crowdstrike, Handala may have connections to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
