With the recent release of more documents from the Epstein files, many well-known personalities have been named, including Zayn Malik, Emma Thompson, and Stevie Wonder.
Over the past decades, numerous high-profile individuals have been linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted pedophile financier, as three million documents were made public by the US Department of Justice on January 30.
The documents reveal emails shared between Epstein and influential figures such as Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon, Larry Summers, Howard Lutnick, Steve Tisch, Noam Chomsky, and Ehud Barak.
It is important to clarify that being mentioned in these documents does not imply any misconduct.
Some celebrities, like Zayn Malik, Emma Thompson, and Stevie Wonder, appear in these files solely due to their personal beliefs and not because of direct interactions.
In a 2014 pre-publication email to Epstein from the Jewish News Syndicate, these celebrities were listed among those accused of having ‘anti-Israel’ views.
Zayn Malik was noted for his actions while in One Direction, specifically for tweeting the hashtag #FreePalestine during a conflict involving Israel. Unlike Rihanna, who deleted her similar tweet, Malik’s post remained and received nearly 200,000 retweets.
Emma Thompson, known for her role in Love Actually, was included for supporting a boycott of the Israeli Habima Theatre in London due to its involvement in illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Stevie Wonder’s name appeared due to his decision to cancel a performance at a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) gala in Los Angeles in 2012, following a UN recommendation.
This email was sent during the 2014 Israel-Gaza War, which resulted in the deaths of 2000 Palestinians and six Israelis, renewing global focus on the long-standing conflict.
The content of the email accused these celebrities of making ‘false accusations’ against Israel, allegedly supporting the actions of Hamas.
Epstein himself was a vocal supporter of Israel, often seen wearing an Israel Defense Forces sweatshirt and closely associated with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, whose name appears over 4000 times in the documents.
The documents include exchanges between Barak and Epstein before the 2016 presidential election, with Barak inquiring if Epstein could facilitate Donald Trump’s appearance on Israeli Channel 10, as Hillary Clinton was scheduled for a similar interview.
Barak believed that such an appearance could influence many Israelis and Americans in Israel and mentioned that Trump would be interviewed by a prominent, positive female anchor.
The BBC has reported that Barak has acknowledged his correspondence with Epstein but stated that he ‘never observed or participated in any inappropriate behavior or parties’.