Jeffrey Epstein aided Alan Dershowitz’s smear campaign against authors of ‘The Israel Lobby’

Newly revealed emails show that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein collaborated with high-profile lawyer Alan Dershowitz, to orchestrate a smear campaign against the authors of The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy.

In 2006, political scientists John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard University released a working paper through Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government arguing that pro-Israel pressure groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), were steering US foreign policy in directions contrary to US national interest. 

The paper exposing the influence of the Israeli lobby was later expanded into a book, triggering a wave of public denunciations. Pro-Israel critics branded Mearsheimer and Walt as anti-Semitic, an accusation which was firmly rejected by both authors.

Details of the revelations reported by Drop Site News expose Epstein’s involvement in the coordinated response. According to emails from Epstein’s Yahoo! account, he reviewed early drafts and assisted in the distribution of an article by Dershowitz attacking Mearsheimer and Walt, titled “Debunking the Newest – and Oldest – Jewish Conspiracy.” In the article, Dershowitz accused the scholars of drawing on anti-Semitic sources and equated their arguments with those found in neo-Nazi propaganda.

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In one email, Epstein praised Dershowitz, writing “terrific… congratulations,” and confirmed that he had begun distributing the article through his extensive network. This support came as Epstein was simultaneously coordinating legal strategies with Dershowitz to discredit a minor who had accused the disgraced billionaire of sexual abuse. The overlapping smear efforts is seen as further demonstration of how Epstein used his wealth and connections to protect himself and his allies while attacking perceived threats to Israeli interests.

The paper by Walt and Mearsheimer faced intense criticism from the pro-Israel lobby, whose power the book exposed. Originally commissioned by The Atlantic, the article was rejected before publication, with the magazine reportedly offering the authors a kill fee to drop the piece. Upon its release, the Kennedy School removed its branding from the paper amid mounting pressure.

Critics of the pro-Israel lobby have pointed to these revelations as evidence that a powerful and well-connected network was engaged in coordinated efforts to silence dissent and academic critique of Israels influence in American politics. 

Dershowitz’s role in defending Epstein has long attracted attention, and the new disclosures are likely to intensify questions about the nature of their relationship. Dershowitz has been accused of sexual misconduct by one of Epstein’s victims, allegations he denies.

The impact of the smear campaign on Mearsheimer and Walt was considerable. Invitations to speak were rescinded or made conditional on the inclusion of pro-Israel voices, and the pair faced lasting damage to their reputations in mainstream academic and media circles. The newly disclosed emails provide further documentation of how their critics mobilised behind the scenes against the Israel’s critics.

In a comment to Drop Site, Mearsheimer said the emails came as no surprise: “I’m not surprised to see these emails, because Dershowitz and Epstein were close and both have a passionate attachment to Israel.”

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