After months of stalled negotiations following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement in March, a familiar figure reappeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a first-phase peace deal was finalized: Jared Kushner. The son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump was in Jerusalem, accompanied by billionaire and Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, to present the agreement to Israel’s Cabinet, which was eventually approved on Thursday evening.
In high-stakes negotiations like these, a team is essential to conduct the painstaking work required to bring both parties to the bargaining table. According to senior US officials, who requested anonymity, Kushner and Witkoff were pivotal in closing the deal while mediators worked to bring Israel and Hamas closer to an agreement. Earlier in the week, the pair traveled to Egypt to join negotiations between the two delegations, which included discussions about the release of Palestinian prisoners and the return of Israeli hostages taken during the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hours later, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to phase one of a peace plan involving a ceasefire and an Israeli military pullback to a “yellow line” within Gaza. The breakthrough provided Trump with a made-for-TV moment when Secretary of State Marco Rubio crossed the room to whisper the news in his ear in front of waiting cameras. Trump has since praised the efforts of his negotiating team, dubbed the “dealmaking consortium,” which included Rubio, Witkoff, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Jared Kushner.
Kushner’s Influence and Background
“Jared’s a very smart guy. He did the Abraham Accords,” Trump said when asked why Kushner was involved in this round of talks. “He’s a very smart person and he knows the region, knows the people, knows a lot of the players.” Unlike during Trump’s first term when Kushner served as an adviser, he does not currently hold a government position. Senior US officials noted that he initially served in an informal advisory role for the final round of negotiations, and his involvement has increased over the past few months.
Last week, Kushner told a government meeting in Jerusalem that the peace deal “would not have been possible without the bravery of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and its soldiers.” He praised Netanyahu for his negotiation skills, saying, “You held your lines firm, and I think that between you and President Trump, you had a lot of alignment on what the end state should be.”
The Abraham Accords and Kushner’s Legacy
Kushner’s biggest achievement during Trump’s term was the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and three Arab states. Signed in September 2020, the accords were hailed as the dawn of a new era in the Middle East. “I will say that [Donald Trump has] also set the table for a lot more great breakthroughs in the months and years ahead,” Kushner declared at the time.
However, when Trump lost the 2020 campaign, Kushner was out of a job. Following the events of January 6, he and his wife, Ivanka, faded from the spotlight amid speculation of a supposed rift with the former president. The couple reportedly expressed little interest in returning to Washington.
Kushner’s Business Ventures and Ethical Concerns
While never far from the political sphere, Kushner pivoted back to business during Joe Biden’s presidency. In 2021, he founded Affinity Partners, an investment firm with ties to government wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Recently, Kushner brokered a major deal to enter the lucrative gaming industry, with Affinity Partners being part of a consortium involved in a $55 billion bid to take gaming company Electronic Arts (EA) private.
However, Kushner’s business dealings in the Middle East have drawn scrutiny from ethics experts and lawmakers. When asked about potential conflicts of interest, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rebuked the suggestion that Kushner’s involvement was inappropriate, emphasizing his global respect and relationships.
Future Implications and Kushner’s Role
Netanyahu has joined Trump in praising Kushner and Witkoff for their efforts, stating that Israel “couldn’t have achieved it without the extraordinary help of President Trump and his team.” Some Democrats have also applauded Kushner’s work, with Thomas R. Nides, former US ambassador to Israel, acknowledging Kushner’s significant role.
“He was exceptionally important in Abraham Accords, knows how to manage Bibi and understands the Arab countries,” Nides told the New York Times.
While the signing of a phase-one peace plan is welcome news in Israel and Gaza, many remain cautious about the future. Trump plans to attend an “official” signing ceremony for the deal in Egypt, alongside other Arab countries. For now, a deal is in place to halt fighting and release hostages and prisoners, but unresolved questions remain regarding the future governance of Gaza, security, and Palestinian self-determination.
