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Jeffrey Epstein Alleged to Broker Secret Back-Channel Between Ehud Barak and Vladimir Putin

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Leaked emails allegedly reveal that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, served as a behind-the‐scenes “fixer” arranging diplomatic contacts between former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Russia during the height of the Syrian Civil War (2013-2016).

According to the hacking group known as the Handala Hacking Team, and published by Distributed Denial of Secrets via Drop Site News, the emails between Barak and Epstein show the following:

Epstein arranged a private meeting between Barak and Putin in the summer of 2013, to explore a Russia-led solution for removing Syrian President Bashar al‑Assad, with Israel’s interests at stake.

On February 21, 2014, Epstein wrote to Barak:

“with civil unrest exploding in ukraine, syria, somolia [sic], libya, and the desperation of those in power, isn’t this perfect for you.”

Barak responded:

“You’re right [in] a way. But not simple to transform it into a cash flow. A subject for Saturday.”

Epstein’s line frames multiple global hotspots (Ukraine, Syria, Somalia, Libya) in a single sweeping sentence—“the desperation of those in power” being ripe for opportunity. This suggests he was positioning Barak to exploit geopolitical unrest not purely for statesmanship but for something like strategic positioning or business advantage.

Epstein allegedly offered tactical advice on how to pressure the Barack Obama administration into military action against Iran after Syria, writing:

“I would use the opportunity to compare it with iran… the solutions become more compelx with time not less… hopefully someone suggests getting authorization now for Iran. the congress woudl do it.”

The communications also show Epstein advising Barak on business ventures—for example, coordinating with Russian-Israeli oligarch Viktor Vekselberg and the Renova Group for consultancy roles in Russia, again with Epstein’s help.

In short: the hacked emails portray Jeffrey Epstein not just as a financier and criminal, but as a clandestine intermediary in international diplomacy — working with Ehud Barak to engage Russia during a critical phase of the Syrian war. If substantiated, these revelations could reshape how we understand both Epstein’s global network and the murky corridors of back-channel diplomacy in the 2010s.

Country Defends Banning Athletes From Israel After Olympic Committee Urged Boycott

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Indonesia defended its decision to block Israeli gymnasts from a world championship event Thursday, saying the move maintains public order despite pushback from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Sports Minister Erick Thohir said Jakarta understands the consequences of preventing Israeli athletes from participating in the gymnastics world championship held in the capital, according to Times of Israel.

“We at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as representatives of the Indonesian Government, adhere to the principle of maintaining security, public order, and public interest in every international event organized,” Thohir said on his social media account, according to a translation.

He added that the principle is part of Indonesia’s constitution and is motivated by an obligation to “uphold world order.”

Thohir responded to an IOC statement urging all international sporting federations not to host sporting events in Indonesia. The committee also cut off all discussions about any possible Olympic bid by Indonesia, which had expressed interest in hosting the 2036 summer games.

(Read more from “Country Defends Banning Athletes From Israel After Olympic Committee Urged Boycott” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Last Christian Village in the West Bank Faces Growing Attacks From Israeli Settlers

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In the hills of the occupied West Bank, the ancient village of Taybeh stands as the last entirely Christian community in the territory. Once known as Ephraim in the Bible, Taybeh has long been a symbol of coexistence and faith — but today, its 1,200 residents face mounting threats from expanding Israeli settlements and escalating violence.

Each Sunday, church bells ring across Taybeh’s three parishes — Roman Catholic, Greek Melkite, and Greek Orthodox — calling the faithful to worship. But beyond the church doors, fear hangs heavy. Residents say Jewish settler attacks have grown more brazen, while Israeli checkpoints restrict movement, cut off trade, and make daily life increasingly unbearable.

“The situation in the West Bank needs another agreement — to move away and expel the settlers from our lands,” said Rev. Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church. “We are so tired of this life.”

The tiny Christian population in the West Bank — now estimated at just 1% of its 3 million residents — is shrinking fast. Taybeh’s villagers say they are struggling to hold on as families flee for safety and opportunity abroad. Clergy report that at least a dozen families have already left, while others are considering it amid worsening security and economic decline.

Settler violence, residents say, has reached their olive groves and cemeteries. Longtime parishioner Suheil Nazzal, who leads music at Mass, said settlers have blocked villagers from harvesting olives and even set fires near Taybeh’s historic fifth-century church.

“We’re struggling too much. We don’t see the light,” said Rev. David Khoury of St. George Greek Orthodox Church. “We feel like we are in a big prison.”
Families like Victor Barakat and Nadeen Khoury, who moved from Massachusetts to raise their children in Taybeh, say the violence feels worse than during the Second Intifada. “Everyone is unsafe,” Barakat said. “You never know who’s going to stop you.”

Though Israel’s government insists it protects religious freedom, Christian leaders across the region have warned of rising hostility. Church officials in Jerusalem report more frequent acts of vandalism and harassment by Jewish extremists, including attacks on clergy.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has called attention to the worsening situation: “Settler attacks, lack of jobs, and restrictions on movement are driving more Christians to leave.”

For the Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land, Rev. Francesco Ielpo, the mission is to persevere: “We can’t stop the hemorrhage, but we will continue to be here and stand alongside everyone.”

Despite the hardships, Taybeh’s Christians remain rooted in faith — determined to keep alive their ancient presence in the land where their religion began. “I love my country because I love my Christ,” Father Fawadleh said. “My Christ is Ibn Al-Balad — the son of this land.”

Hamas and Islamic Jihad Defy Trump’s Ceasefire, ‘Negotiating with Himself’; No Disarmament Commitment

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Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad both refused to commit to disarming this week — brazenly defying the peace plan President Donald Trump brokered and both terror groups accepted— with a senior Hamas official telling Reuters he could not say “yes or no” to surrendering weapons. At the same time, an Islamic Jihad leader claimed on Al Jazeera that disarmament was never even discussed, and Trump is “negotiating with himself.”

The back-to-back rejections expose the fragility of the week-old ceasefire and reveal both terror groups are positioning themselves to remain armed indefinitely while demanding political concessions Israel has refused for decades.

In an interview with Reuters published Friday, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal was asked directly whether Hamas would give up its weapons. “I can’t answer with a yes or no,” Nazzal responded — a stunning refusal given that disarmament is the central requirement of Trump’s 20-point peace plan that Hamas agreed to sign just days earlier.

When pressed on what disarmament would even mean, Nazzal challenged the very concept. “The disarmament project you’re talking about, what does it mean? To whom will the weapons be handed over?” he asked Reuters, making clear Hamas views giving up arms not as an obligation but as a hypothetical subject for future debate.

Speaking Wednesday from Doha, where Hamas’s political leadership has resided for years, Nazzal went further — declaring Hamas intends to maintain armed control over Gaza indefinitely. “On the ground, Hamas will be present,” he stated, directly contradicting Trump’s plan requiring the terror group to cede all security functions to a technocratic civilian administration overseen by international monitors. (Read more from “Hamas and Islamic Jihad Defy Trump’s Ceasefire, ‘Negotiating with Himself’; No Disarmament Commitment” HERE)

Trump Threatens to ‘Go In and Kill’ Hamas if Gaza Executions Continue

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By New York Post. President Trump threatened Thursday to “go in and kill” Hamas terrorists if they continue to slaughter suspected adversaries in Gaza following the jihadists’ truce with Israel.

“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” Trump warned in a short Truth Social post.

“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Disturbing footage emerged on social media this week showing public executions of Palestinians, who were blindfolded and forced to their knees before they were shot from behind by Hamas gunmen.

The terror group claimed the targeted Palestinians were “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” according to the BBC.

Following the breakthrough cease-fire that has stopped – for now – two years of war, Hamas has worked quickly to reassert control of the Gaza Strip. (Read more from “Trump Threatens to ‘Go In and Kill’ Hamas if Gaza Executions Continue” HERE)

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Israel blocking Turkish rescue teams from Gaza until Hamas returns hostages’ remains – official

By The Jerusalem Post. Israel will continue refusing to allow a Turkish delegation of 81 rescue personnel and heavy equipment to enter the Gaza Strip until Hamas returns all the remains of deceased hostages that it can, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

“There is a group of hostages’ bodies that Hamas can return right now [and] another group they know the location of, but they need equipment and assistance to retrieve them,” another source said. “And there are some bodies they genuinely do not know where they are.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday: “We know for certain that Hamas can easily release a significant number of hostages in accordance with the agreement. What they are doing now is a fundamental violation of that agreement.”

After the meeting, Netanyahu spoke with Trump regarding Hamas’s delayed return of the remaining deceased hostages in Gaza. . .

Mediators have said heavy equipment and experienced rescue teams would be essential to recover the remains. (Read more from “Israel blocking Turkish rescue teams from Gaza until Hamas returns hostages’ remains – official” HERE)

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Horror as airports across America and Canada blast pro-Hamas messages over their loudspeakers

By Daily Mail. The public address systems of four airports across the US and Canada were hacked to blast pro-Hamas political messages and disparage President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu.

Videos taken by confused passengers at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania have emerged on social media as the group claiming responsibility for the stunt warned of ‘a second September 11.’

In the footage, a computer-generated sounding voice can be heard chanting ‘Free, free Palestine’ and ‘F**k Netanyahu and Trump.’ The voice can also be heard saying, ‘Turkish hacker Siberislam is here.’ . . .

Similar hacks were reported at three other airports by Transport Canada, the agency that regulates airport operations north of the border. The affected locations were Kelowna International Airport and Victoria International Airport in British Columbia and Windsor International Airport in Ontario.

The hack also impacted flight information displays and plastered pro-Hamas messages across the screens. In red lettering over a black background the text read ‘Isreal lost the war, Hamas won honorably you are a pig, Donald Trump.’ (Read more from “Horror as airports across America and Canada blast pro-Hamas messages over their loudspeakers” HERE)

Israel PM Netanyahu in Court for Graft Trial Appearance

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was back in a Tel Aviv court on Oct 15 for the latest hearing in his long-running corruption trial, which opened in May 2020.

The prime minister kept a smiling face as he and his entourage of several ministers from his conservative Likud party were heckled by protesters en route to the tribunal.

It comes after US President Donald Trump suggested on Oct 13 that the Israeli premier should be pardoned in his three separate corruption cases.

His latest appearance at the Tel Aviv court also follows the return of the hostages taken by Hamas as part of Mr Trump’s US-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In one case, Mr Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting more than US$260,000 (S$336,970) worth of luxury goods, including champagne, cigars and jewellery, from billionaires in exchange for political favours. (Read more from “Israel PM Netanyahu in Court for Graft Trial Appearance” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

“She Might Love Israel More”: Trump’s Remark About Miriam Adelson Sparks Criticism

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When President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset on Monday, much of the world’s attention was on his historic return to Israel — but it was one offhand comment that drew the most attention back home.

Gesturing toward billionaire Miriam Adelson, one of his most prominent financial backers, Trump joked, “I’m gonna get her in trouble with this one, but I actually asked her once, ‘So, Miriam, I know you love Israel. What do you love more? The United States or Israel?’ She refused to answer. That might mean Israel.”

The remark, which prompted laughter and applause in the chamber, underscored what many observers see as a contradiction in Trump’s political identity. For years, Trump’s “America First” message has defined his movement — yet here he was, highlighting the deep influence of a donor whose loyalties, by his own teasing admission, lie primarily with another country.

During his speech, Trump praised Miriam and her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, for their generosity and political support, reminiscing about their frequent visits to the White House. “Miriam and Sheldon would come into the office, they’d call me. I think they had more trips to the White House than anybody else I could think of,” Trump said. “Look at her sitting there so innocently! She got $60 billion in the bank … and she loves Israel.”

He went on to credit the Adelsons with inspiring some of his most consequential pro-Israel decisions during his first term — including recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

But Trump’s nostalgic praise also raises uncomfortable questions about the role of billionaire donors in shaping U.S. foreign policy. How much influence should private citizens — especially those with dual citizenship — have in decisions that affect America’s diplomatic posture?

In 2018, Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — citing her contributions to medicine, philanthropy, and Jewish causes.

Sheldon Adelson once described his worldview bluntly: “All we care about is being good Zionists, being good citizens of Israel.”

Trump’s comments have reignited debate over his relationship with the Adelsons and the broader influence of money in U.S. foreign policy. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) was quick to respond on X (formerly Twitter):

“Trump asked dual citizen Miriam Adelson, a billionaire running nasty ads against me in Kentucky, ‘what do you love more, the United States or Israel?’ She refused to answer him. He says that might mean she loves Israel more. This isn’t AI, it’s real video…”

Trump’s joking acknowledgment of Miriam Adelson’s divided loyalties may have been meant in jest, but it exposed a deeper tension at the heart of his political brand. While he continues to promote an “America First” foreign policy, his own words highlighted the extent to which personal relationships and donor influence have shaped U.S. policy toward Israel — a contradiction not lost on his critics.

Hamas Carries Out Public Executions — Just Hours After Signing Peace Treaty With Israel

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Hamas carried out mass public executions in Gaza on Monday, just hours after signing a peace treaty with Israel — as part of a series of bloody reprisals following the withdrawal of Israeli troops, gruesome video shows.

The graphic footage shows eight badly beaten, blindfolded men kneeling in the street before each is shot dead by Hamas gunmen in front of a cheering crowd.

The terror group said, without providing evidence, that the killings targeted “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” the BBC reported.

Among those killed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, reportedly responsible for recruiting agents to a rival non-Hamas-aligned militia, Israeli outlet ynet News reported.

Following the IDF’s withdrawal, Hamas has quickly looked to reassert its control over Gaza, targeting the “clans,” or family-based armed groups that had gained strength during the conflict. (Read more from “Hamas Carries Out Public Executions — Just Hours After Signing Peace Treaty With Israel” HERE)

U.S. Troops Deployed to Israel Amid Ceasefire Mission

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The Pentagon has confirmed the deployment of approximately 200 U.S. troops to Israel in support of the recently brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Their mission: to establish and operate a civil-military coordination center aimed at managing humanitarian aid, logistics, and monitoring compliance with the ceasefire agreement. While none of the deployed personnel are expected to enter Gaza, the assignment places them squarely in the middle of a complex and high-stakes regional operation.

Defense officials emphasized that the U.S. troops will work closely with Israeli counterparts to facilitate the flow of aid into Gaza and ensure that both sides adhere to the terms of the ceasefire. The center will serve as a critical hub for communication and logistical planning, helping international organizations, NGOs, and military units coordinate efforts in what remains a tense and politically charged environment.

Though not considered a combat deployment, the mission carries real-world risks. The region remains volatile in the wake of months of violence, and infrastructure in Gaza has been severely damaged, making aid delivery and ceasefire enforcement difficult.

This deployment further reflects the long-standing U.S.-Israel military partnership. Since Israel’s founding in 1948, the United States has provided over $130 billion in military and security assistance. Supporters of the relationship argue that American involvement strengthens regional security, deters hostile actors, and reinforces U.S. influence in one of the most strategically important parts of the world.

Critics, however, have pointed to the scale of ongoing military aid and the risks of deeper entanglement in a deeply polarized conflict. The presence of U.S. troops, even in a support role, symbolizes a broader commitment that continues to shape American foreign policy priorities in the Middle East.

For the 200 troops deployed, the task ahead is demanding but vital. They will be responsible for ensuring that life-saving aid reaches civilians in Gaza, that ceasefire terms are properly observed, and that U.S. credibility as a stabilizing force remains intact.

Photo credit: Flickr

Israeli Politician Thrown Out After Interrupting Trump’s Address to Israel’s Parliament

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A far-left Israeli politician was jeered as he loudly interrupted President Trump’s address to the country’s parliament, just to quickly get tossed out by security.

Ofer Cassif, a member of parliament from the extreme left-wing Hadash party, began shouting while Trump was praising his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for his part bringing “peace in the Middle East.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what Cassif was yelling. He was quickly bundled out by security to cheers from the majority of Israel’s MPs who otherwise gave countless rounds of applause to Trump.

Security also went over to another Knesset member and removed him.

Cassif shared a lengthy post on X ahead of Trump’s arrival, condemning the US president’s visit.

(Read more from “Israeli Politician Thrown Out After Interrupting Trump’s Address to Israel’s Parliament” HERE)