Kushner's Mideast Return: Dealmaker or Diplomatic Debacle?
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Kushner's Mideast Return: Dealmaker or Diplomatic Debacle?
-
Narrated by:
-
By:
About this listen
Jared Kushner has been back in the international spotlight this week after returning to the Middle East as President Trump’s key peace envoy alongside Steve Witkoff to help secure and now implement the hard-fought Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Major headlines have focused on Kushner’s surprise return to geopolitics after he’d publicly insisted just months ago that his government days were behind him. According to NPR and widely reported by outlets like Fox News and "60 Minutes," Trump insisted he needed “that brain on occasion,” drafting Kushner for this high-stakes mission despite persistent controversy over Kushner’s deep business ties to the region and lucrative deals made with Gulf states after his first White House run.
The ceasefire deal itself is being described as Kushner’s boldest diplomatic move since the Abraham Accords, and media outlets have, not surprisingly, grilled him about both the new agreement and his private-sector involvement, especially sizable investments from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others into Kushner’s post-administration firm. When pressed during a televised joint interview with Steve Witkoff on "60 Minutes," Kushner unapologetically leaned into his real estate roots, saying that decades of “stupid word games” by diplomats in the region hindered peace, and that he and Witkoff succeeded by treating negotiations as straight-up dealmaking rather than diplomatic theater. Fox News headlined Kushner slamming “50 years of stupid word games” as a sign he’s doubling down on his outsider approach and sees the drama as mainly about removing obstacles to clear mutual objectives: getting hostages out, delivering aid, and cementing a lasting ceasefire.
Reporters on the ground in Israel this week largely confirm Kushner’s strategy has been hands-on—literally walking disputed ground with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, while holding tense press conferences alongside VP JD Vance. In those briefings Kushner downplayed continuing violence as “expected” during the transition from war to peace, drawing both support and some highly publicized pushback as to whether his return is really appropriate given his overlapping diplomacy and business ventures.
On social media, Kushner’s return to the world stage fueled a surge of speculation about both 2028 political ambitions and deeper scrutiny over the exact nature and timing of his overseas deals. Trending hashtags included #KushnerReturns and #DealBroker, as users and commentators weighed whether his unconventional negotiations will cement his reputation as Trump’s indispensable fixer or reignite debate about the ethics of mingling high-stakes diplomacy with high-flying private investments. For now, the headlines suggest Kushner’s latest chapter might be among his most consequential, with both fans and foes watching to see if this ceasefire—and Kushner’s unique brand—will actually hold.
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.