The ‘enormous conflict of interest’ at centre of Jared Kushner’s Gaza ceasefire deal | Jared Kushner

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Jared Kushner, a man who holds no official position in the White House, surprisingly took center stage recently as Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East.

As the administration celebrated a ceasefire in Gaza, Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, was spotted in Tel Aviv’s “hostages square,” addressing a crowd. The crowd had previously booed the mention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but quickly transitioned into chants of “Thank You Trump!”

Dressed in a simple black T-shirt, a departure from his usual business attire, Kushner shared, “October 7 for me was a shattering day. Since then, my heart has not been complete.” He expressed his obligation “to see the hostages come home, to see their families get the closure they deserve, and to end this nightmare.” He also acknowledged “the suffering end for the people in Gaza who, for most of them, were experiencing this through no fault of their own, other than being born into a horrific situation.”

This sentiment struck a rather different note compared to Trump’s earlier threat to unleash “hell” in Gaza. However, Kushner, known for his soft-spoken demeanor and real estate background, has emerged as a key figure in Trump’s Middle East strategy. He’s leveraging his connections and, some suspect, positioning himself to potentially benefit from the redevelopment of Gaza, should it ever materialize.

It’s a notable comeback for Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, who seemed to distance themselves from politics after the events of January 6th.

Kushner now manages billions in investments, including funds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, through his company, Affinity Partners, placing him squarely in the heart of Washington DC’s power circles.

“Of course, there’s an enormous conflict of interest here,” remarked Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy, calling the administration’s actions “open corruption.”

However, Duss also offered a peculiar twist: “Part of what’s bizarre is that the Trump organization is so deeply leveraged in the Middle East that the corruption could sustain the ceasefire. Because they all stand to make so much money there is an interest and an incentive to kind of stop the war.”

The administration, predictably, denies any conflict of interest in Kushner’s dual role as diplomat and investment fund manager.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended Kushner, stating, “I think it’s frankly despicable that you’re trying to suggest that it’s inappropriate for Jared Kushner… to strike a 20-point comprehensive, detailed plan that no other administration would ever be able to achieve. Jared is donating his energy and his time to our government…to secure world peace, and that is a very noble thing.”

Before being tapped by his father (real estate developer Charles Kushner) to join Trump’s initial administration, Kushner, who comes from an Orthodox Jewish family in New Jersey, had zero prior experience in diplomacy. He once famously claimed to have prepared for the role by reading 25 books and speaking to every leader in the region. A statement that was widely mocked at the time.

Now, JD Vance and other supporters are recirculating those comments, perhaps with a sense of vindication.

While Trump transitioned back into the White House, Kushner and Ivanka remained in their Miami megamansion, keeping a lower profile than in Trump’s first term.

Many were unaware of Kushner’s central role in these negotiations until he and Tony Blair attended a White House meeting in August to discuss the future of Gaza.

“I put Jared on it because he’s a very smart person and he knows the region, knows the people, knows a lot of the players,” Trump said. Kushner, in an interview, characterized himself and Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, as “deal guys,” veterans of New York real estate who understand what motivates people.

“A lot of the people who do this are history professors, because they have a lot of experience, or diplomats. It’s just different being deal guys – just a different sport,” Kushner explained.

According to US officials, Trump granted Kushner and Witkoff broad authority to secure a ceasefire. This included closed-door meetings with Arab leaders, persuading Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar’s Prime Minister after an Israeli airstrike, and even an unprecedented meeting between White House officials and Hamas, resulting in the best chance to end the war in Gaza.

One former US diplomat noted that Kushner’s “unofficial” status, combined with his direct access to Trump and business connections, allowed him to “bridge all of these sides and build enough credibility to help get the deal across the line.”

Since Trump’s first term, it’s said that Kushner has pushed a vision where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a primary issue that is preventing a deeper connection between Israel and Arab States, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

After Netanyahu’s strike on Qatar, Kushner and Witkoff, sensing an opportunity, helped craft an apology from Netanyahu to the Qatari Prime Minister.

“It was the sort of thing that mature people do,” said a US official briefed on Witkoff and Kushner’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire. “That got us some leverage.”

Observers point to Kushner’s influence on Middle East policy since the start of Trump’s second term. His proposal to redevelop Gaza as a beachfront property has gained traction, though critics accuse Trump of promoting ethnic cleansing by suggesting Palestinians could be forcibly evicted – an idea Kushner previously floated.

Aaron David Miller, a former diplomat and Middle East negotiator, recalled Kushner’s unsentimental approach: “[Kushner] said: ‘Don’t talk to me about history. I’m not interested in history. We’re doing things differently here.”

Kushner’s family has a long-standing relationship with Netanyahu, particularly through his father, Charles Kushner. Despite this, Kushner told Miller that Trump’s strategy was to “make it impossible for any Israeli prime minister to say no to him.”

“Little did I know … that foundational principle would essentially create a situation unlike any other American president I ever worked for,” Miller said.

A US official explained that Trump’s strong support for Israel enabled Kushner and Witkoff to collaborate with Arab leaders and even meet with Hamas without alienating Netanyahu’s government.

Trump, Kushner, and Witkoff stood “shoulder to shoulder with Israel 100%,” according to a US official. “Israel has a lot of trust in President Trump that he’s not going to ask it to do anything that would compromise its security.”