Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak (L) and Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted American sex offender and financier.

A recently released file reveals that Jeffrey Epstein, the late disgraced financier and convicted American sex trafficker, advised former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak to cooperate with the controversial US artificial intelligence surveillance firm Palantir.

According to an audio released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Epstein, during a February 2013 discussion with Barak, mentioned an unnamed third party and suggested there were "two cyber companies" worth "looking at."

"I`ve never met Peter Thiel. And everybody says he sort of jumps around and acts really strange, like he`s on drugs," Epstein told Barak of the Palantir co-founder, with the former Israeli prime minister concurring.

"However, he has a company called Palantir... so he thought that Peter would put you on the board of Palantir... he`s going to come here next week so I wanted to talk to him, if I talk to you."

Epstein, who had connections to numerous powerful figures, including US President Donald Trump, Britain`s Prince Andrew, and former US president Bill Clinton, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.

Two months later, he was found dead in a New York jail cell. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though the circumstances have fueled years of speculation about his high-profile associates and possible efforts to conceal the full scope of his crimes.

Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed by Congress, the DOJ released files on Epstein and his accomplices and enablers.

Some of the sex trafficker`s emails reveal correspondence suggesting he acted as a private diplomat and intelligence fixer for a range of political figures.

After Epstein was first convicted as a sex offender in 2008, Barak, partnered with him in 2015 to fund security tech startup "Reporty Homeland Security", chaired by Barak and now known as Carbyne.

Barak has downplayed his relationship with Epstein, yet a search of the Epstein files yields 4,078 results mentioning his name

Israel has used Palantir technologies during multiple offensives in the occupied territories and other countries.

According to New York Times journalist Michael Steinberger, Israel deepened its use of the company`s technology after it launched the war on Gaza in October 2023, deploying it in numerous operations.

Both Thiel and the company have been outspoken in their support for Israel`s genocide in Gaza.

Last July, a report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said there "are reasonable grounds to believe Palantir has provided automatic predictive policing technology, core defense infrastructure for rapid and scaled-up construction and deployment of military software, and its Artificial Intelligence Platform, which allows real-time battlefield data integration for automated decision making."

A new book authored by Steinberger also revealed that Israel used technologies from the American firm in its deadly pager and walkie-talkie terrorist attacks in Lebanon in 2024.

At least 42 people, including two children, were killed, and more than 3,400 others suffered mostly debilitating injuries in the explosions of September 18 and 19, 2024.

United Nations experts called the attacks a "terrifying" violation of international law.