Jared Kushner, the former White House adviser and son-in-law of Donald Trump, expressed admiration for the significant value of Gaza’s “waterfront property.” He proposed that Israel consider relocating civilians temporarily to allow for the area to be properly cleaned up.
In an interview dated Feb. 15, Jared Kushner emphasized the potential value of Gaza’s waterfront property. He expressed his belief that if the focus shifted towards developing livelihoods in the region, significant progress could be made. The interview, initially reported by The Guardian, was posted on the YouTube channel of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government’s Middle East Initiative. Kushner highlighted the missed opportunities resulting from the allocation of resources towards the construction of the tunnel network and the acquisition of munitions. He pondered the possibilities that could have been realized if these investments were directed towards education and innovation instead.
“It’s quite an unfortunate situation,” Kushner remarked, acknowledging the complexities of the matter. He emphasized Israel’s efforts to relocate the affected individuals and stressed the importance of subsequent restoration. “Israel is committed to facilitating the relocation process and ensuring that the area is thoroughly restored for the people to return,” he affirmed.
In response to the misrepresentation of his remarks, Kushner took to social media on Tuesday to address the issue directly. He shared a video of the complete interaction, emphasizing that he stands by his comments. Kushner firmly believes that the lives of the Palestinian people will only improve when there is a demand for accountability from their leadership, both from the international community and their own citizens.
Around 1.5 million Palestinians who have been displaced are currently seeking shelter in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza. This comes as Israel aims to eradicate Hamas in response to a violent attack carried out by the militant group on October 7th. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in devastating consequences, with over 30,000 Palestinians losing their lives and more than 70,000 sustaining injuries in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel’s war on Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington to discuss a potential Rafah operation with officials from the Biden administration.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently had their first interaction in over a month. Amidst the growing divide between the allies regarding the food crisis in Gaza and Israel’s conduct during the war, they reached an agreement to hold talks. These discussions, set to take place in the coming days, will involve military, intelligence, and humanitarian experts, as informed by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
During the interview last month, Kushner also mentioned the possibility of evacuating civilians from Rafah and potentially relocating them to Egypt. He expressed that achieving this outcome would require effective diplomatic efforts. Additionally, he proposed a plan for the development of the Negev desert in southern Israel.
Furthermore, Kushner proposed an alternative solution, expressing his willingness to clear an area in the Negev by bulldozing existing structures and relocating people there. Despite acknowledging that this approach may not be widely favored, he believes it presents a more viable option for effectively achieving their objectives.
“I believe that Israel has made significant efforts to protect civilians from casualties, going above and beyond what many other countries would do,” Kushner expressed.
The Israel-Hamas war has become a prominent issue in this year’s U.S. presidential election, creating divisions between Biden and Trump, as well as within their respective parties.
