Israel, after suffering killings and kidnappings of civilians earlier this month, is planning an invasion of Gaza to eliminate Hamas, the militant group behind the attacks. This will put many ordinary Palestinians, already struggling under Hamas rule, in a deadly situation. Iran’s foreign minister, who supports Hamas, warned that “no one can guarantee control of the situation and prevent the conflict from expanding” if Israel continues. Many fear that Hezbollah, also backed by Iran, could attack Israel from the north. The United States has sent warships to the region as a deterrent.
As tensions rise, an interview with Jared Kushner published Wednesday by podcaster Lex Fridman has attracted attention. Kushner is the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, who appointed him as senior adviser and manager for Middle East policy.
Although the interview lasts several hours and covers many areas, including a controversial $2 billion investment the Saudi government made in Kushner’s private equity fund after he left office at the White House part of the interview focuses on the Middle East’s potential should it ever achieve its goal. peace and stability.
“What has held the region back all these years is simply conflict and division,” Kushner said.
Glimmers of hope emerged last month, when Israel and Saudi Arabia appeared to be on the cusp of a breakthrough peace deal, raising hopes for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
“One of Iran’s worst nightmares is establishing ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Kushner said. “This would be a game changer for the region. »
With violence in the Gaza Strip now likely to escalate, normalization talks appear to be out of the question.
Kushner believes – unsurprisingly – that Trump’s re-election would help get things back on track in the region. He said the Trump administration was able to “project force” and “stop, through crushing sanctions,” the financial resources that Iran, which “seeks instability,” was sending to “terrorist groups.” .
“I think the job he’s done as foreign policy chairman has been tremendous,” he said. “Under President Biden, the world is in the second war, and when leadership is weak, the world becomes a less safe place. I hope and pray that President Trump is re-elected and can then restore calm, peace and prosperity to the world.”
In the Middle East, he said, “you now have young leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and there is now a much more ambitious agenda for the region to make it a superpower economic and a hub of the world.
He described Israel as “one of the most thriving and exciting tech economies in the world, and if you think about it, it’s almost like having a Silicon Valley not connected to California.”
He added: “I think the region has enormous potential, but it has simply been held back by bad policy, bad leadership and bad targets. »