Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has discussed U.S.-Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump White House, said a source familiar with the discussions.
The source did not identify when the talks took place and whether they occurred before or after the start of the Gaza conflict. But they included discussions on the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key diplomatic objective of both the Biden and Trump administrations, the source said.
Kushner, 43, has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which congressional investigators say has invested $2 billion in his private equity fund, Affinity Partners, which Kushner set up after leaving the White House.
The news that Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s de-facto leader discussed a peace accord that U.S. President Joe Biden also has tried to broker illustrates the importance both Republicans and Democrats place on the increasingly unstable Middle East amid a razor-close presidential election. The talks also signal how Trump might manage the crisis in the region if voters return him to power – and renew questions about whether Kushner’s financial ties with Riyadh could influence U.S. policy under his father-in-law.
Saudi Arabia’s investments in Kushner’s fund have been criticized by ethics experts, Democrats in Congress and even some Republicans, who have expressed concern that Saudi Arabia’s stake can look like a payoff since Kushner worked on Saudi issues before leaving Trump’s White House.
In a Sept. 24 letter to Affinity, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote that investments by Saudi Arabia in Kushner’s fund raise “obvious conflicts of interest concerns.”
Affinity and Kushner have denied that Saudi Arabia’s investments are a payoff or a conflict of interest. Affinity said Wyden and his Senate staff do not understand the realities of private equity. “The reason so many people go to Jared for his insights and his opinions is that he’s had such a record of successes,” said a spokesperson for Kushner.
The source close to Kushner declined to provide more details of the discussions with the crown prince, also known as “MbS, saying he did not want to violate the friendship between the two. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to share that,” the source said.
A spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not answer questions about Kushner’s discussions with MbS.
In a Sept. 18 speech, MbS said the kingdom would not recognize Israel without the creation a Palestinian state, suggesting a deal may be near impossible for the foreseeable future. That’s a shift from February when three sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia was willing to accept a political commitment from Israel to create a Palestinian state, rather than anything more binding, in a bid to get a defense pact with Washington approved before the U.S. presidential election.
To encourage Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, the Biden administration has offered Riyadh security guarantees, assistance with a civilian nuclear program and a renewed push for a Palestinian state. The deal could reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding the world's biggest oil exporter to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.
But the Gaza conflict has thrown the talks into uncertainty. The war and humanitarian crisis have strengthened Arab and Muslim support for the Palestinians in their decades-long conflict with Israel over land and statehood, making it difficult for Riyadh to discuss recognizing Israel without addressing Palestinian aspirations.
The U.S. election is also a factor as Trump, a Republican, vies with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in a historically tight race for the White House.
The Saudi relationship with Trump was notably close. Trump’s first foreign trip as president in 2017 was to Riyadh, accompanied by Kushner. After Saudi expatriate opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Trump stood by the crown prince in spite of a U.S. intelligence assessment that he had authorized the killing. MbS denied involvement.
Two sources familiar with Saudi strategy said that if Trump returns to the White House, the crown prince would welcome making a deal with Israel under his leadership. If Harris were to win, the agreement would still move forward, the sources said. Either way, the sources see it as a win-win for MbS, even if it requires a few more months of patience.
On Sept. 27, Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the prospect of an agreement in positive terms. “What blessing such a peace with Saudi Arabia would bring,” he said in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
Normalizing Israeli-Saudi relations would mark an expansion of the “Abraham Accords” sealed when Trump was in office. The accords led to the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Kushner, who is close to Israel, led the negotiations as a senior adviser in Trump’s White House.
Three sources close to Kushner said that if Trump wins November’s presidential election, they expect Kushner to be involved in the Saudi talks, albeit in an unofficial capacity. A spokesperson for Kushner denied that he is seeking such a role.
If Kushner were to be involved in diplomatic talks as a private citizen in a second Trump term, it could pose a significant conflict of interest, ethics experts say, putting Kushner in the extraordinary position of conducting government-level negotiations with one of his major financial investors.
While Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have largely stayed away from Trump's campaign events, they were present at the Republican National Convention in July, sitting and clapping in the family box behind Trump.
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
28 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Sounds like a violation of the Logan Act to me. Lock him up!!!
Peter Neil
ah yes, son of convicted and multiple times jailed felon who inherited his fathers 4,000 apartments in new york.
daddy gave a couple million to harvard and jared was miraculously accepted with grades that would only get him onto a community college.
the same jared who flew to the middle east on the taxpayers dime any times, left daddy in laws white house and immediately got saudi arabia, qatar and uae to invest billions in his new investment fund, which has not returned a penny since he has no investment experience at all. but he was did suck millions in fees while returning nothing.
just another grifter in the toilet bowl circle surrounding trump.
he should keep his dim wit out of foreign policy.
beentofivecontinents
Has he ever worked a hard day in his life. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Also mistreating the poor.
ok1517
Kushner-who?
He is in no position to discuss anything.
But I strongly assume he only discussed how to get more money from that general area.
Remember the $2 billion him and his wife gathered before?
Time to investigate these 2, too!
dagon
”Khashoggi was not one of our best. WaPo media, fake news. "
Politik Kills
Of course, he’s a diplomat and not at all a nepo-baby, grifting, parasite.
John
And the 2 billion in Saudi donations to his wealth fund that he’s charged 121 million in fees so far in spite of not actually investing the majority of the money.
They discussed that too….
bass4funk
Good on him.
WoodyLee
""The source did not identify when the talks took place and whether they occurred before or after the start of the Gaza conflict. But they included discussions on the process of normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key diplomatic objective of both the Biden and Trump administrations, the source said.""
Antique NEWS, S. Arabia has already stated it's position on the matter, " No normalization without the establishment of a Palestinian State ".
WoodyLee
Mr. Kushner will do anything for a price $$$ even when he and his partners knew the answer upfront.
Some extra cash on the side won't hurt.
lincolnman
Quite surprising the article failed to mention the $2 billion the Saudi government made to Kushner's new investment fund - one without any track record or history to judge how successful it would be....
Evidently they thought he must be more competent than his father-in-law who bankrupted six companies and has made Truth Social the laughing stock of social media...
Maybe it was a payoff?
Hmmmm....sounds like something worth investigating more than Hunter's laptop...
Peter Neil
saudi arabia just buying influence.
Strangerland
Jerod “More Criminal Than Hunter” Kushner should be in jail for peddling White House power for money.
TokyoLiving
Not his business, pathetic..
WoodyLee
How could anyone accept how Israel is treating it's Palestinian citizens !?
As Mr. Chris Hayes once put it during one of his shows speaking of Israel treatment of the Palestinians, "" This is obviously a Moral Abomination ""
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w1AEK8wA7i4
bass4funk
My God, where are you hearing all of this? ROFL!
You were in the room? Well, tell us, what was said?? ROFL!
funkymofo
Bought and paid for. Do you really think a guy who gets $2 billion from the Saudi’s has US best interests foremost in his mind? It’s all about the grift with this family.
plasticmonkey
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/politics/kushner-private-equity-saudi-arabia.html
Peter Neil
bass4funkToday 09:11 am JST
uh, everywhere except fox news?
widening your circle of information outside your bubble is good for everyone.
bass4funk
I honestly don't care what the man does, he's in the private sector and a successful businessman so more power to him, if he can get something out of this deal, good for him.
konjo4u
Jared has never presented himself as impressive. He has, though, appeared to be a stooge for foreign powers wishing to manipulate US foreign policy.
The Ripper!
Trump did a great job brokering peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Jared is doing a superb job too but of course the Democrats are whining about him.
Blacklabel
is it a problem that others have done the same types of things with no outrage?
or just a problem what their family names are?
ulysses
That’s the story of Jared’s life, whatever he tries to do, he will fail.
The US govt should engage jared to negotiate on behalf of Russia, Iran, N.Korea, that’s the best and quickest way to harm these countries!!!
ulysses
Definitely sir, Donald’s girl’s husband is royalty.
Yes sir kushner family name is very very honorable, Jared’s daddy did many many honorable things!!!!
John
When pointed out that’s it’s EVWRYWHERE switches to:
Except he is objectively NOT a good businessman.
The NY paper he bought: bankrupt.
His 666 building bought just before the Lehman crash was refinanced with gulf oil money which is THE reason it didn’t go bankrupt.
ZERO experience in fund management. The Saudi’s own auditor recommended against the investment.
Nope, he’s the middling adult child of wealth who married into notoriety.
ulysses
Very very true sir, he’s a very successful businessman who has failed miserably at business!!!
He will get the same returns as his Bahrain deal or thr PPE one…….
ulysses
My thoughts exactly sir, does everyone know about how bad jared is with money!!!!
That is SNL level humor sir, titter titter titter.
i but a successful businessman like you was in the room for sure!!!