Jared Kushner's Shocking Interview: Former Trump Mid East 'Expert' Sparks Outrage Over Callous Solutions to Gaza Problem He Helped Create
Following in the steps of his real estate mogul father-in-laws, Kushner advises Israel to remove Palestinians from Gaza and capitalize on the enclave's valuable "waterfront properties"
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key player in orchestrating the administration's Middle East policy, made comments during a recent Harvard University interview that have resulted in widespread condemnation.
To the dismay of many observers, Kushner proposed the forcible relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to facilitate land development, advocating for the bulldozing of parts of the territory and resettling its population in the Negev Desert. Kushner emphasized the economic potential of Gaza's coastal areas, referring to them as valuable "waterfront property."
“Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable … if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” he said, “It’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but from Israel’s perspective I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.”
President Trump's former envoy added, "I do think right now opening up the Negev, creating a secure area there, moving the civilians out, and then going in and finishing the job would be the right move."
His callous disregard for Palestinian life included suggesting Israel “just bulldoze something in the Negev" and it should just "go in and finish the job."
During the Harvard talk, Kushner was asked whether the Palestinians should have their own state, and said this would be “a super bad idea” that “would essentially be rewarding an act of terror.”
The timing and nature of his comments have left many appalled. With over 31,000 Palestinian deaths and additionally, around 1.5 million facing starvation after being displaced and forced to flee in terror from the north of the Strip to the southern border near the city of Rafah.
His comments have drawn condemnation and accusations of advocating for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. This comes in the context of decades of oppression under occupation in Gaza which human rights agencies have called an "open-air prison" and Israel an 'apartheid state."
But more revealingly, by rejecting the idea of Palestinian statehood and promoting controversial policies, Kushner has reignited debates about the Trump administration's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and their responsibility for the current devastating conflict.
How Trump's presidency was a significant setback for the Palestinian cause
In 2017 Jared Kushner was appointed as a senior advisor and entrusted with leading Trump's Middle East policy. His appointment inevitably drew criticism for perceived nepotism, due to his lack of experience and any diplomatic or regional expertise.
Despite these criticisms, Trump praised Kushner's role in his cabinet, expressing confidence in his ability to tackle the challenging task of achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump famously remarked, "If Jared Kushner can't do it, it can't be done."
Yet many critics have argue that Kushner and Donald Trump played a significantly detrimental role in shaping the current situation in the Middle East. This is evident in their policy approach of isolating Palestinians, cutting off aid, and subsequently fostering direct links between Israel and other Arab nations through initiatives like the Abraham Accords. 
The Accords are a set of agreements signed in 2020 aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab countries. These agreements include both a general declaration and separate bilateral agreements between Israel and countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
The strategy of brokering deals and alliances aimed at politically and economically isolating Palestinians, was clearly intended to create a new regional dynamic that bypassed traditional Palestinian-centric approaches to peace in the region.
Critics argue that Palestinians have consistently pointed out America's long standing partisan approach in favor of Israel, which includes billions of dollars in annual aid, as a stumbling block for peace. This situation was exacerbated by the Trump administration's tacit approval of illegal settlements, penalizing Palestinians by cutting off aid, and its departure from neutrality by declaring East Jerusalem as Israel's capital and opening the new embassy there.
This was the final straw that infuriated Palestinians and unequivocally signaled that the United States could no longer be considered an impartial mediator in any peace negotiations with Israel.
At the time the Palestinian Prime Minister called it a "slap in the face" for his people.
Foreign policy experts say that Hamas felt it was pushed into a corner with nothing to lose, especially in the face of Trump's proposed plans to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Its shocking attack on October 7 has, as expected, led to a postponement of any such move - the Saudis, like most of the Arab world, have condemned Israel for the slaughter of Palestinian civilians in its brutal response to Hamas.
