The online news site Puck has reported that Jared Kushner was involved in crafting President Trump’s plan for the US to “take over” Gaza, which involves the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population.
Citing Puck, The Times of Israel reported that Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, helped prepare the shock remarks the president made on Tuesday night during his press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kushner, who has a long history of friendship with Netanyahu, served as an advisor to President Trump during his first term in office and was involved in negotiating the Abraham Accords, the deals that sought Israel’s regional integration without settling the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
Kushner, who has no official position in the current White House, remarked last year that Gaza’s waterfront property could be “very valuable” and said Palestinians should be removed from the territory, at least temporarily.
“Gaza’s waterfront property — it could be very valuable, if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner said.
“It’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but I think from Israel’s perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up … But I don’t think that Israel has stated that they don’t want the people to move back there afterward,” Kushner added.
President Trump would not rule out the idea of sending US troops to Gaza if “necessary.” Axios reported that Israeli officials visiting Washington felt “almost jubilant” by the announcement, and one official said it “exceeded all of our expectations and dreams.”
