When did Ehud Barak first meet Jeffrey Epstein and where?
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Executive summary
Available reporting places the start of Ehud Barak’s documented contacts with Jeffrey Epstein in 2013, with a specific early meeting arranged in September 2013 in New York that Epstein set up between Barak and Joshua Cooper Ramo [1]. Multiple outlets say Barak met Epstein “dozens of times beginning in 2013” and continued meeting him through at least 2017 [2].
1. First documented meeting: September 2013 in New York — what sources say
The clearest, contemporaneous detail in the documents reviewed by journalists shows that Epstein arranged a meeting in September 2013 that brought together Ehud Barak and Joshua Cooper Ramo in New York; that encounter is explicitly mentioned in reporting summarizing the Wall Street Journal’s review of Epstein’s files [1]. The JNS summary highlights September 2013 as an early arranged meeting and describes Barak as a “regular guest” in Epstein’s post-2008 circle [1].
2. Broader timeline: “beginning in 2013” and dozens of meetings
The Times of Israel, citing the Wall Street Journal’s reporting, states Barak met Epstein “dozens of times beginning in 2013,” including repeated meetings at Epstein’s residences and a roughly monthly cadence for nearly a year starting December 2015 [2]. That account places the relationship squarely in the 2013–2017 window and notes travel on Epstein’s private plane and private-flight contact in 2014 [2].
3. What the documents and emails add — introductions, guests, and stated purposes
Documents released or reviewed by journalists portray Epstein as a connector who introduced Barak to American figures such as Joshua Cooper Ramo and Noam Chomsky and arranged meetings framed around geopolitics and science, not personal or sexual matters; one account says Epstein set up Barak’s meeting with Chomsky to discuss Israel–Palestinian policy [1]. Reporting based on newly disclosed emails and schedules describes Epstein arranging meetings after his 2008 conviction, suggesting the contacts were often presented publicly as intellectual or policy exchanges [1].
4. Barak’s response and limitations of the record
Barak has said he “deeply regret[s]” associating with Epstein and denied ever witnessing inappropriate behavior or meeting Epstein in contexts involving minors; he has also described Epstein as a “terrible version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a verbatim, contemporaneous first-contact email from before September 2013; reporting instead relies on the files and calendars that journalists reviewed [1].
5. Conflicting details and how journalists handled them
Different outlets emphasize different aspects: The Times of Israel stresses frequency and travel on Epstein’s plane beginning in 2013 [2], while JNS and other summaries focus on discrete arranged meetings like September 2013 and the network of introductions Epstein facilitated [1]. Some later digests and releases of photos and emails broaden the picture of association without, in these extracts, changing the initial-encounter timing [4] [5].
6. What is not in the available reporting — gaps you should know about
Available sources do not mention an earlier meeting prior to 2013 or a definitive single “first handshake” moment documented by contemporaneous email or flight manifest in the excerpts provided; the most concrete early date cited is September 2013 as an arranged meeting [1]. Available sources do not establish that any of the meetings involved illegal activity by Barak; they report introductions, dinners, and policy discussions while noting Barak’s denials [2] [3].
7. Why this matters — networks, reputations and public accountability
The documentation that Epstein continued to host prominent people after his 2008 conviction reframes how his role as a connector is assessed; naming a former prime minister among frequent guests raises reputational questions even where no criminal conduct is alleged. Journalistic accounts stress Epstein’s role as a fixer and introducer — a function that produced meetings like the September 2013 encounter between Barak and Ramo [1] — and outlets highlight Barak’s later regret and denials [2] [3].
8. Bottom line and recommended caution for readers
Reports consistently put the start of Barak’s publicized meetings with Epstein in 2013, with a specific arranged New York meeting in September 2013 and dozens of interactions afterward [1] [2]. Readers should note the limits of the published extracts: they derive from document reviews and released emails rather than a single, universally agreed-upon contemporaneous record, and available reporting does not itself allege criminal conduct by Barak [2] [1].