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Murtaza Hussain is a reporter for Drop Site News, which has brokenimportant stories based on recently obtained Epstein emails. Hussainreports that Epstein had an “extensive relationship with Israeliin...
Investigative journalist Murtaza Hussain discusses Drop Site News's reporting on newly obtained Jeffrey Epstein emails revealing his extensive intelligence connections and role as a dealmaker for Israeli security interests. The conversation explores Epstein's relationship with former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, their collaboration on surveillance technology deals across multiple countries, and the implications of Israeli intelligence officers living in Epstein's Manhattan residence. Hussain argues the real story isn't just sexual exploitation, but Epstein's role as a freelance operative furthering Israeli strategic goals through back-channel diplomacy and defense technology sales.
Hussain explains Drop Site News's founding as a small, Substack-funded independent publication focused on conflict, war, and espionage. The organization spun off from The Intercept with about 6-7 journalists and has grown to 150,000 subscribers, demonstrating how small teams can compete with establishment media through reduced institutional overhead.
Hussain details three separate sources of Epstein documents: House Oversight Committee releases, Bloomberg's Yahoo Mail cache (18,000 messages from 2006-2019), and hacked emails from Israeli PM Ehud Barak's inbox. The Barak emails were verified through multiple independent processes including cross-referencing with House Oversight releases, establishing their authenticity beyond reasonable doubt.
The emails reveal Epstein worked closely with Ehud Barak to promote Israeli intelligence-linked surveillance technology to foreign governments, including Côte d'Ivoire and Mongolia. Barak, despite his political power, actively sought Epstein's help for introductions to sovereign wealth funds and foreign officials, with their relationship serving dual purposes: enriching Barak as a private contractor and embedding Israeli tech infrastructure globally.
Beyond technology deals, Epstein functioned as a high-level diplomatic fixer conducting track-two diplomacy. He helped Barak create back channels to Russia in 2013 proposing Syrian civil war resolution involving Assad's removal, and arranged meetings between Steve Bannon and others in 2019, operating with influence rivaling government officials despite being ostensibly a private citizen.
House Oversight documents revealed Yoni Koren, Barak's chief of staff and senior Israeli military intelligence officer, lived in Epstein's Manhattan apartment for weeks at a time, including while Barak was still Defense Minister. This detail, released apparently by oversight, provides concrete evidence of Israeli intelligence presence at the alleged sex trafficking location.
Discussion of how Epstein transitioned from teaching at Dalton to billionaire lifestyle, with speculation about Iran-Contra connections, ties to Adnan Khashoggi, and potential money laundering for intelligence agencies. The conversation explores how operating a blackmail/honeypot operation requires 'protection' from either mafia or intelligence services to handle threats from powerful targets.
Steve Hsu introduces Ari Ben Menashe, an Israeli intelligence operative held in the same federal prison as Epstein for Iran-Contra charges (later acquitted). Ben Menashe has publicly stated that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell ran honeypot compromise operations for Israeli intelligence, providing direct testimony about Epstein's intelligence role from someone with documented intelligence background.
Analysis of House Speaker Mike Johnson's recent statement that releasing Epstein files could 'collapse our entire political system' and pose 'national security implications.' The speakers argue this extraordinary claim from the third most powerful US political figure suggests something far beyond sexual misconduct - likely foreign intelligence compromise of top US officials.
Discussion of how establishment media (NYT, Washington Post, Financial Times) actively ignores Epstein-Israel stories despite public documentation. Netanyahu inadvertently legitimized the reporting by sharing a Jacobin article about Barak-Epstein ties for domestic political reasons, forcing Israeli media and politicians to acknowledge the story's existence and breaking the suppression strategy.
Hsu provides historical context with Salon Kitty, a Nazi-operated Berlin brothel used for intelligence gathering on foreign diplomats and German officials. The operation recorded all conversations on miles of audio tape in the 1930s-40s, demonstrating that such honeypot operations are established historical fact. Modern technology makes such operations trivially easier, with reports of Epstein's residence having cameras throughout and a central control room.
Analysis of how both far-right figures (Nick Fuentes, Charlie Kirk, Marjorie Taylor Greene) and far-left publications (Jacobin) are interested in Epstein revelations, while establishment/boomer media resists. The story represents a generational divide between those invested in previous ruling compact versus younger people from across political spectrum seeking truth about elite corruption.
Jeffrey Epstein, Israel, and Elite Power, with Murtaza Hussain – #100
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