Vice President JD Vance stated during a recent three-hour appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had connections to “the highest levels” of both American and Israeli intelligence agencies. Vance, who described himself as an early advocate of theories regarding Epstein’s alleged intelligence ties, claimed Epstein maintained relationships within the upper echelons of U.S. and Israeli intelligence circles. These assertions, which lack substantiated evidence, align with conspiracy theories that have circulated since Epstein’s death and have often been criticized for echoing antisemitic tropes. Naftali Bennett, Israel’s former prime minister, previously denied allegations that Epstein worked for Israeli intelligence or the government.
In the interview, Vance further speculated that Epstein was linked to the Israeli political left, referencing his association with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak, whose political stance has shifted toward the center in recent years, has denied any wrongdoing and expressed regret over his past relationship with Epstein. Vance also suggested Epstein’s ties to the U.S. spanned political lines, asserting, “He had Republican friends, he had Democratic friends,” but emphasized stronger connections to the Israeli left.
The vice president’s comments included a critique of Epstein’s relationship with Jewish billionaire philanthropist Les Wexner, whom Vance alleged may have used illicit financial arrangements to gain leverage over the financier. This claim, which Vance called an “underreported, underexplored story,” overlaps with documented reports of Epstein’s financial dealings with Wexner, though Wexner has consistently denied wrongdoing and cut ties with Epstein after learning of his misconduct.
Vance also addressed recent accusations that Israelis were involved in a campaign to undermine his role in brokering a ceasefire deal with Iran. While acknowledging foreign influence efforts as “the nature of the beast,” he condemned Americans allegedly accepting Israeli funding to criticize his policies, stating, “Many of the people who were receiving that money were actually attacking me in completely dishonest ways… my response to that is ‘Go to hell!’ I’m going to do what I have to do for the American people.”
Vance’s remarks about Epstein’s alleged intelligence connections have drawn scrutiny given his prior public skepticism of the official narrative surrounding Epstein’s death. In a prior interview, he acknowledged his view of the case as “a conspiracy theory,” while condemning Epstein’s associations with powerful individuals. The vice president’s stance on the Iran ceasefire, which has faced criticism for its concessions to Iran over Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz, has since been overshadowed by President Trump’s renewed military actions against the country.
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- New Zealand actor Sam Neill passed away at 78 after battling cancerNew Zealand actor Sam Neill, who passed away on Monday at a Sydney hospital, died from pneumonia, his agent has confirmed.Best known for his roles in Jurassic Park and Peaky Blinders, the 78-year-old’s family described his death earlier this week as “sudden and unexpected”.Neill’s long-time agent Philip Grenz released a statement on Thursday about the cause of death after speaking to the actor’s family and due to what he said were “inaccurate and outright falsehoods” in the media.In April this year, Neill announced he was in remission after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a type of blood cancer – years earlier. His family said he had “remained cancer free” when he died.”As Sam Neill’s longtime rep, I spoke with his family and wish to clarify some details for his fans,” Grenz said. “Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.”Grenz said that during the past year, Neill had “filmed four projects back-to-back… all of which will be released within the coming months”.Neill, who was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in New Zealand, was “an intensely private man who loathed a fuss”, Grenz said.He added that Neill’s family “will honour him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date.””I’d like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time,” Grenz said.News of Neill’s death saw tributes flow from fellow actors, politicians and fans, with his Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern describing him as “my beloved lifetime friend”.Australian actor Toni Collette called him a “hero”, “legend” and “sweetheart” while New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was “one of the greats”.Neill played Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and also appeared in films including The Piano, The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm and Event Horizon, as well as BBC TV drama Peaky Blinders.Over a career spanning more than five decades, Neill amassed more than 150 screen credits.His last film appearance came in The Fox (2025) and his last TV appearance came in Netflix series Untamed (2025). He is expected to make posthumous appearances in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova and The Last Resort in 2027.In his 2023 memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This?, he revealed details of his cancer diagnosis and treatment.”I’m not afraid of dying,” he told the BBC at the time. “What I don’t want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living.”He added: “I’ve regarded it as an adventure, quite a dark adventure, but an adventure nevertheless.”Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
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