Jared Kushner has praised the “very valuable” potential of Gaza’s “waterfront property” and suggested Israel should remove civilians while it “cleans up” the strip.
The former property dealer, married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, made the comments in an interview at Harvard University on 15 February. The interview was posted on the YouTube channel of the Middle East Initiative, a program of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, earlier this month.
Kushner was a senior foreign policy adviser under Trump’s presidency and was tasked with preparing a peace plan for the Middle East. Critics of the plan, which involved Israel striking normalisation deals with Gulf states, said it bypassed questions about the future for Palestinians.
His remarks at Harvard gave a hint of the kind of Middle East policy that could be pursued in the event that Trump returns to the White House, including a search for a normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable … if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner told his interviewer, the faculty chair of the Middle East Initiative, Prof Tarek Masoud. Kushner also lamented “all the money” that had gone into the territory’s tunnel network and munitions instead of education and innovation.
“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,” Kushner said. “But I don’t think that Israel has stated that they don’t want the people to move back there afterwards.”
Masoud replied that there was “a lot to talk about there”.
Kushner also said he thinks Israel should move civilians from Gaza to the Negev desert in southern Israel.
He said that if he were in charge of Israel his number one priority would be getting civilians out of the southern city of Rafah, and that “with diplomacy” it could be possible to get them into Egypt.
“But in addition to that, I would just bulldoze something in the Negev, I would try to move people in there,” he said. “I think that’s a better option, so you can go in and finish the job.”
He reiterated the point a little later, saying: “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.”
The suggestion drew a startled response from Masoud. “Is that something that they’re talking about in Israel?” Masoud asked. “I mean, that’s the first I’ve really heard of somebody, aside from President Sisi [Egypt’s leader], suggesting that Gazans trying to flee the fighting could take refuge in the Negev. Are people in Israel seriously talking about that possibility?”
“I don’t know,” Kushner replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“That would be something you’d try to work on?” Masoud asked.
“I’m sitting in Miami Beach right now,” Kushner said. “And I’m looking at the situation and I’m thinking: what would I do if I was there?”
Asked by Masoud about fears on the part of Arabs in the region that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, would not allow Palestinians who flee Gaza to return, Kushner paused and then said: “Maybe.”
He went on to say: “I am not sure there is much left of Gaza at this point. If you think about even the construct, Gaza was not really a historical precedent [sic]. It was the result of a war. You had tribes in different places and then Gaza became a thing. Egypt used to run it and then over time different governments came in.”
Responding to a question about whether the Palestinians should have their own state, Kushner described the proposal as “a super bad idea” that “would essentially be rewarding an act of terror”.
This article was amended on 20 March 2024. An earlier version said that Jared Kushner made the comments about Gaza’s “waterfront property” in an interview at Harvard University on 8 March. In fact, the interview took place on 15 February and the video was posted online on 8 March.
https://x.com/thomaswheat1975/status/1930423496397730119
Jared Kushner has praised the “very valuable” potential of Gaza’s “waterfront property” and suggested Israel should remove civilians while it “cleans up” the strip.
The former property dealer, married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, made the comments in an interview at Harvard University on 15 February. The interview was posted on the YouTube channel of the Middle East Initiative, a program of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, earlier this month.
Kushner was a senior foreign policy adviser under Trump’s presidency and was tasked with preparing a peace plan for the Middle East. Critics of the plan, which involved Israel striking normalisation deals with Gulf states, said it bypassed questions about the future for Palestinians.
His remarks at Harvard gave a hint of the kind of Middle East policy that could be pursued in the event that Trump returns to the White House, including a search for a normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
“Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable … if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner told his interviewer, the faculty chair of the Middle East Initiative, Prof Tarek Masoud. Kushner also lamented “all the money” that had gone into the territory’s tunnel network and munitions instead of education and innovation.
“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,” Kushner said. “But I don’t think that Israel has stated that they don’t want the people to move back there afterwards.”
Masoud replied that there was “a lot to talk about there”.
Kushner also said he thinks Israel should move civilians from Gaza to the Negev desert in southern Israel.
He said that if he were in charge of Israel his number one priority would be getting civilians out of the southern city of Rafah, and that “with diplomacy” it could be possible to get them into Egypt.
“But in addition to that, I would just bulldoze something in the Negev, I would try to move people in there,” he said. “I think that’s a better option, so you can go in and finish the job.”
He reiterated the point a little later, saying: “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.”
The suggestion drew a startled response from Masoud. “Is that something that they’re talking about in Israel?” Masoud asked. “I mean, that’s the first I’ve really heard of somebody, aside from President Sisi [Egypt’s leader], suggesting that Gazans trying to flee the fighting could take refuge in the Negev. Are people in Israel seriously talking about that possibility?”
“I don’t know,” Kushner replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“That would be something you’d try to work on?” Masoud asked.
“I’m sitting in Miami Beach right now,” Kushner said. “And I’m looking at the situation and I’m thinking: what would I do if I was there?”
Asked by Masoud about fears on the part of Arabs in the region that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, would not allow Palestinians who flee Gaza to return, Kushner paused and then said: “Maybe.”
He went on to say: “I am not sure there is much left of Gaza at this point. If you think about even the construct, Gaza was not really a historical precedent [sic]. It was the result of a war. You had tribes in different places and then Gaza became a thing. Egypt used to run it and then over time different governments came in.”
Responding to a question about whether the Palestinians should have their own state, Kushner described the proposal as “a super bad idea” that “would essentially be rewarding an act of terror”.
This article was amended on 20 March 2024. An earlier version said that Jared Kushner made the comments about Gaza’s “waterfront property” in an interview at Harvard University on 8 March. In fact, the interview took place on 15 February and the video was posted online on 8 March.
dilettantes everywhere on X.com too
https://x.com/thomaswheat1975/status/1930422003296808966
Bullshit!!! We subsidizes the Israeli's on average of 10 billion dollars a year which is Foreign Aid Fraud as they're playing all sides as a Transnational triple agent bogey threat!!!!
another stupid white nigger!!!
https://x.com/aBESTway/status/1930437777914532148
eat a dick!!! Check out my website: georgebushconspiracy.com
The Haganah interrogated members of the Lehi in 1942 – and the recently released transcripts shed light on a dark chapter in the right-wing militia’s history: ‘Stern said that in war, there’s no room for sentiment’
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-06-21/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/zionist-military-org-efforts-to-recruit-nazis-in-fight-against-the-british-are-revealed/00000188-d93a-d5fc-ab9d-db7ae0ea0000A draft resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Wednesday after the United States cast its veto – blocking the initiative backed by all ten elected members of the Council.
The text, co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia – collectively known as the E-10 – received 14 votes in favour, with the US casting the lone vote against.
As one of the council’s five permanent members, the US holds veto power – a negative vote that automatically blocks any resolution from going forward.
Had it been adopted, the draft would have demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza” to be respected by all parties.
The text reaffirmed the Council’s earlier call for the “immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.”
The draft also expressed grave concern over the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza – following more than the months of almost total Israeli aid blockade – including the risk of famine, highlighted by recent international food security assessments.
It reaffirmed the obligation of all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.
Resume flow of aidIn addition to a ceasefire, the draft resolution demanded the “immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions” on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling for safe and unhindered access for UN and humanitarian partners across the enclave.
It also urged the restoration of essential services, in accordance with humanitarian principles and prior Security Council resolutions.
The text voiced support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive the phased ceasefire framework outlined in resolution 2735 (2024), which envisions a permanent cessation of hostilities, the release of all hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of all remains, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and the start of a long-term reconstruction plan.
Draft resolution unacceptable: United StatesSpeaking ahead of the vote, acting US Representative Dorothy Shea described the draft resolution as “unacceptable”.
“US opposition to this resolution should come as no surprise – it is unacceptable for what it does say, it is unacceptable for what it does not say, and it is unacceptable for the manner in which it has been advanced,” she said.
“The United States has been clear,” she continued, “we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza.”
She added that Hamas has rejected numerous ceasefire proposals, including one over the weekend that would have provided a pathway to end the conflict and release the remaining hostages.
“We cannot allow the Security Council to award Hamas’ intransigence,” Ms. Shea said, stressing, “Hamas and other terrorists must have no future in Gaza. As Secretary [Marco] Rubio has said: ‘If an ember survives, it will spark again into a fire’.”
‘The world is watching’The failure of the resolution comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with UN agencies warning of the total collapse of health services, growing displacement, and a rising death toll around the new privatized US-Israel led aid distribution system which bypasses established agencies.
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat,” said UN relief chief Tom Fletcher earlier on Wednesday.
A draft resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Wednesday after the United States cast its veto – blocking the initiative backed by all ten elected members of the Council.
The text, co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia – collectively known as the E-10 – received 14 votes in favour, with the US casting the lone vote against.
As one of the council’s five permanent members, the US holds veto power – a negative vote that automatically blocks any resolution from going forward.
Had it been adopted, the draft would have demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza” to be respected by all parties.
The text reaffirmed the Council’s earlier call for the “immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.”
The draft also expressed grave concern over the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza – following more than the months of almost total Israeli aid blockade – including the risk of famine, highlighted by recent international food security assessments.
It reaffirmed the obligation of all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.
Resume flow of aidIn addition to a ceasefire, the draft resolution demanded the “immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions” on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling for safe and unhindered access for UN and humanitarian partners across the enclave.
It also urged the restoration of essential services, in accordance with humanitarian principles and prior Security Council resolutions.
The text voiced support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive the phased ceasefire framework outlined in resolution 2735 (2024), which envisions a permanent cessation of hostilities, the release of all hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of all remains, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and the start of a long-term reconstruction plan.
Draft resolution unacceptable: United StatesSpeaking ahead of the vote, acting US Representative Dorothy Shea described the draft resolution as “unacceptable”.
“US opposition to this resolution should come as no surprise – it is unacceptable for what it does say, it is unacceptable for what it does not say, and it is unacceptable for the manner in which it has been advanced,” she said.
“The United States has been clear,” she continued, “we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza.”
She added that Hamas has rejected numerous ceasefire proposals, including one over the weekend that would have provided a pathway to end the conflict and release the remaining hostages.
“We cannot allow the Security Council to award Hamas’ intransigence,” Ms. Shea said, stressing, “Hamas and other terrorists must have no future in Gaza. As Secretary [Marco] Rubio has said: ‘If an ember survives, it will spark again into a fire’.”
‘The world is watching’The failure of the resolution comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with UN agencies warning of the total collapse of health services, growing displacement, and a rising death toll around the new privatized US-Israel led aid distribution system which bypasses established agencies.
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat,” said UN relief chief Tom Fletcher earlier on Wednesday.
A draft resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Wednesday after the United States cast its veto – blocking the initiative backed by all ten elected members of the Council.
The text, co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia – collectively known as the E-10 – received 14 votes in favour, with the US casting the lone vote against.
As one of the council’s five permanent members, the US holds veto power – a negative vote that automatically blocks any resolution from going forward.
Had it been adopted, the draft would have demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza” to be respected by all parties.
The text reaffirmed the Council’s earlier call for the “immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.”
The draft also expressed grave concern over the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza – following more than the months of almost total Israeli aid blockade – including the risk of famine, highlighted by recent international food security assessments.
It reaffirmed the obligation of all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.
Resume flow of aidIn addition to a ceasefire, the draft resolution demanded the “immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions” on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, calling for safe and unhindered access for UN and humanitarian partners across the enclave.
It also urged the restoration of essential services, in accordance with humanitarian principles and prior Security Council resolutions.
The text voiced support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to revive the phased ceasefire framework outlined in resolution 2735 (2024), which envisions a permanent cessation of hostilities, the release of all hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of all remains, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and the start of a long-term reconstruction plan.
Draft resolution unacceptable: United StatesSpeaking ahead of the vote, acting US Representative Dorothy Shea described the draft resolution as “unacceptable”.
“US opposition to this resolution should come as no surprise – it is unacceptable for what it does say, it is unacceptable for what it does not say, and it is unacceptable for the manner in which it has been advanced,” she said.
“The United States has been clear,” she continued, “we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza.”
She added that Hamas has rejected numerous ceasefire proposals, including one over the weekend that would have provided a pathway to end the conflict and release the remaining hostages.
“We cannot allow the Security Council to award Hamas’ intransigence,” Ms. Shea said, stressing, “Hamas and other terrorists must have no future in Gaza. As Secretary [Marco] Rubio has said: ‘If an ember survives, it will spark again into a fire’.”
‘The world is watching’The failure of the resolution comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with UN agencies warning of the total collapse of health services, growing displacement, and a rising death toll around the new privatized US-Israel led aid distribution system which bypasses established agencies.
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat,” said UN relief chief Tom Fletcher earlier on Wednesday.
https://x.com/KenRoth/status/1930376776003244304
This week, during Netanyahu's trial, it was revealed that Israel's prime minister said "I don't remember" no fewer than 1,788 times during his investigations. Haaretz's archive takes a journey through his most notable memory lapses