Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak apologized for his longtime friendship with the poor sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Barak was in contact with this American financier, visited his apartment in Manhattan and also his private island. TASR informs about this according to the Friday report of the AP agency.
- Ehud Barak apologized for his friendship with Epstein.
- He also visited Epstein’s apartment and private island.
- He is not accused of illegal activity.
- Barak says he saw no inappropriate behavior.
- He ended contacts with Epstein after his reinvestigation.
“I am responsible for all my actions and decisions, and there is certainly room to question whether I did not have room for a deeper assessment of the situation on my part and a more thorough examination of what the real details are, what exactly happened there,” the ex-prime minister told Channel 12.
An apology to the public
He expressed regret for ever knowing Epstein and apologized to anyone “who feels deeply uncomfortable.”
Barak is one of several politicians and celebrities who appeared in files about Epstein released by the US Department of Justice.
According to the AP, the former prime minister was not involved in Epstein’s illegal network, which provided underage girls to wealthy people, and faces no charges of wrongdoing.
Contacts with Epstein
In the past, Barak distanced himself from Epstein, but together with his wife, they repeatedly appeared in the files mentioned. They show that they were in regular contact with Epstein for years, even after he was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
However, the ex-prime minister admitted that when he was not holding a public office, he visited the American financier, flew on his private plane and stayed in his apartment in New York. He said he and his wife and security personnel visited Epstein in the U.S. Virgin Islands for a three-hour visit, but he said they only saw Epstein and several maintenance workers there.
Barak claims he never saw or was part of any inappropriate behavior. He knew about Epstein’s previous case, but assumed that he had already paid off his debt to society. He reportedly cut ties with Epstein after a 2019 investigation revealed “the breadth and depth of this man’s heinous crimes.”
