Surfaced Epstein Audio Reveals Former Israeli PM’s Push for Russian Immigration to ‘Transform’ IsraelJerusalem, February 4, 2026 – A recently released audio recording from the Jeffrey Epstein files has sparked controversy, revealing former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak discussing his repeated appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin to facilitate the immigration of one million Russians to Israel through conversion to Judaism.
In the conversation, Barak contrasts this selective approach with Israel’s early immigration policies, which he says accepted people from North Africa and the Arab world out of necessity, implying a preference for “higher quality” immigrants to dramatically alter the country’s demographics.The audio, part of a trove of over three million pages of documents unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with the Epstein investigation, captures Barak speaking casually with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and economist Larry Summers. Barak, who served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and as defense minister until 2013, outlines a vision for breaking the Orthodox rabbinate’s monopoly on religious matters like marriage and conversion to enable “massive conversion into Judaism.
“”We can control quality much more effectively than our ancestors or founding fathers could,” Barak says in the recording, referring to Israel’s founders who “took whatever came just to save people” from regions like North Africa and the Arab world. He adds, “I used to tell Putin, always, what we need is just one more million to change Israel in a dramatic, dramatic manner, the million Russians.”The discussion highlights long-standing tensions within Israeli society over ethnic and cultural divides, particularly between Ashkenazi Jews of European descent—who often include lighter-featured individuals from Russia and Eastern Europe—and Mizrahi or Sephardi Jews from Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds, who are typically darker-haired and skinned.
Critics have interpreted Barak’s comments on “quality” and selectivity as evidence of discrimination, with some social media users labeling it a push for a “blonde nation” by favoring Russian converts over other groups.This is not the first revelation of Barak’s extensive ties to Epstein. Leaked emails from Barak’s inbox, hacked by the group “Handala” and published in late 2025, showed Epstein assisting Barak in business ventures, including investments in Israeli surveillance tech firms like Carbyne (formerly Reporty Homeland Security), and facilitating diplomatic backchannels to Russia during the Syrian civil war.
Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, reportedly helped arrange a 2013 meeting between Barak and Putin, where similar demographic ideas may have been discussed.The audio has ignited online debates about internal racism in Israel. Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the former Chief Rabbi of Moscow, responded on X, stating, “I am glad when I was the Chief Rabbi of Moscow, we stopped this crazy initiative. Didn’t know then that it was discussed with Epstein.” Israeli journalist Lahav Harkov noted that Barak’s suggestion would be “offensive to most Israelis” if considering Mizrahi and traditional Ashkenazi communities.Pro-Palestinian outlets like Quds News Network and Palestine Info Center amplified the story, framing it as evidence of Israel’s “invented” identity and eugenics-like policies.
One X user commented, “Remember Jews are supposed to be darker skinned semites. So what happens to indigenous Palestinians? Epstein & Barak so obsessed w eugenics & supremacy.”Barak has not publicly responded to the latest audio release, but he has previously downplayed his relationship with Epstein, insisting it was professional and occurred after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The Epstein files continue to unfold, with connections to figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and tech mogul Peter Thiel, but this segment underscores Epstein’s role in high-level geopolitical and demographic discussions.Historians note that Israel absorbed over a million immigrants from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, many of whom were not halachically Jewish but qualified under the Law of Return. Barak’s proposal echoes debates over conversion reforms, though critics argue it perpetuates Ashkenazi dominance in Israeli politics and society. As of now, no official Israeli government statement has addressed the recording.
