Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Brunei
Brunei: absence of relations with "Israel", the Sultan's statements on Gaza, Brunei's UN vote for the New York Declaration, and the Epstein files, including Epstein's 2002 trip to Brunei with Bill Clinton and Ghislaine Maxwell
Brunei does not appear among the countries listed by the Israeli foreign ministry as having relations with "Israel".[1] Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has expressed grave concern over the Israeli bombardment of Gaza,[2] and Brunei voted for the 2025 New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[3] Documents in the Jeffrey Epstein files indicate that Epstein travelled to Brunei in 2002 with Bill Clinton.[4]
Jewish community and religious life
Chabad
- Main article: Chabad-Lubavitch movement
Israeli state and commercial ties
Diplomacy
Brunei does not appear in the Israeli foreign ministry's list of countries with which "Israel" has relations.[1] In his New Year address broadcast on 31 December 2023, the Sultan expressed deep concern over the continued bombardment of Gaza after the attack of 7 October and urged "all parties involved to comply with their obligations under international law in order to protect the safety of civilians". He said Bruneians would continue to hold mass prayers for Palestine and to raise donations through the National Humanitarian Fund for Palestinians in Gaza.[2]
Political interference
UN voting
Brunei voted in favour of the September 2025 General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on a two-state solution.[3]
Jeffrey Epstein
Documents released by the US Department of Justice in the Jeffrey Epstein files include the following.
- Epstein was deposed on 9 September 2016 in Giuffre v. Maxwell, a civil case in New York. Asked "in May of 2002, you, Bill Clinton, and Defendant Maxwell all flew to Bangkok together, right?" and "And later, on that same trip, you, Maxwell, and Bill Clinton all flew to Brunei together, true?", he invoked the Fifth Amendment. He also took the Fifth when asked "In 2002, you flew to Brunei with Maxwell on your private jet, true?" and on a series of questions about Maxwell and girls in Brunei.[5]
- A due-diligence research report on Epstein reproduces Vicky Ward's profile "The Talented Mr. Epstein" from the March 2003 Vanity Fair, which includes a photograph captioned "Epstein with President Clinton in Brunei, 2002".[4]
- On 14 March 2013 Epstein wrote to Ian Osborne: "sultan of brunei in ny.. want to meet up with him?". Osborne replied that he had just arrived and was available.[6]
See also
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Cambodia
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to East Timor
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Indonesia
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Laos
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Malaysia
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Myanmar
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to the Philippines
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Singapore
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Thailand
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Vietnam
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Missions Abroad: Status of relations mfa.gov.il, archived 5 August 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gov’t reforms, Gaza crisis among highlights of Sultan’s New Year titah The Scoop, 2 January 2024, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United Nations General Assembly, Recorded vote on A/80/L.1/Rev.1: Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, 12 September 2025 (copy hosted by Al-Quds Al-Arabi).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Due-diligence research report reproducing Vicky Ward, "The Talented Mr. Epstein", Vanity Fair, March 2003, EFTA01405372, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 10, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Confidential videotaped deposition of Jeffrey Epstein, 9 September 2016, Giuffre v. Maxwell, No. 15-cv-07433-RWS (S.D.N.Y.), EFTA02796492, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Court Records, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 25 October 2026.
- ↑ Email exchange between Jeffrey Epstein and Ian Osborne, 14 March 2013, EFTA00703187, US Department of Justice, Epstein Files release, Data Set 9, copy at tommycarstensen.com/epstein, accessed 25 October 2026.