A resurfaced email connected to the Epstein files has brought renewed attention to veteran Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, triggering outrage over a deeply offensive remark attributed to him. Reported by MoneyControl.
Terje Rød-Larsen is facing fresh scrutiny after an email linked to documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case re-emerged during ongoing US court proceedings.
The message has drawn strong criticism because it reportedly contains a racist comment about Indians, raising uncomfortable questions about the private views of a figure long associated with peace and diplomacy.
The controversy comes amid the continued release of Epstein-related material. According to media reports, an email attributed to Rød-Larsen includes the line: “When you meet an Indian and a snake, kill the Indian first.” The remark has been widely condemned as racist and dehumanising, prompting anger among Indians and people of Indian origin around the world.
Critics argue that the issue goes beyond the offensiveness of the phrase itself, pointing instead to what it may reveal about entrenched biases within elite diplomatic and policy-making circles.
The episode has also added to the reputational damage surrounding individuals named in Epstein-linked documents, as public scrutiny intensifies with each new disclosure.
Rød-Larsen is best known internationally for his involvement in the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accordsbetween Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Trained as a sociologist, he later held senior international roles, including serving as a United Nations envoy in the Middle East, where he developed a reputation as a behind-the-scenes negotiator in complex conflicts.
He later became president of the International Peace Institute, a New York–based organisation focused on conflict resolution and global governance.
In 2020, Rød-Larsen resigned from that position after reports revealed the institute had received funding from Epstein. He acknowledged meeting Epstein and later said it was a serious error in judgment to have maintained contact after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
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