Jared Kushner: Netanyahu’s Gulf ally joining Gaza peace talks

As Hamas officials, Qatari as well as Egyptian diplomats, and a Turkish intelligence chief gather for Gaza peace negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort, another key figure will also make their appearance: US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s friend, Jared Kushner.

Although Kushner holds no formal title, his participation could signal that the Trump administration is serious about achieving a ceasefire, as reported by Middle East Eye on October 7th. He is expected to arrive in Egypt alongside U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly under direct orders from Trump not to leave until a deal is reached.

“This is a good thing since it makes a ceasefire more achievable and Gaza’s ethnic cleansing less viable,” said Rob Geist Pinfold, an international security expert at King’s College London. “Kushner and Witkoff have a larger-than-life role in the administration. Their arrival signals Trump is serious about a ceasefire.”

The Gaza negotiations mark a return to Middle East diplomacy for Kushner, who has served as a key adviser during Trump’s initial administration and was the architect of the “Deal of the Century”, a proposal widely criticised and ultimately unsuccessful.

After Trump left the White House, Kushner started Affinity Partners, a private equity fund backed by Gulf capital. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion, while the UAE and Qatar added a combined $1.5 billion. His close ties with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s ambassador in the US Yousef al-Otaiba, have made him one of the most leading American intermediaries in the Gulf.

Those relationships could prove crucial as the Gulf region recalibrates its foreign policy amid major shifts, including the Gulf’s China pivot that reflects its strategic diversification away from the West.

Kushner’s reputation, however, remains clouded by his thoughts on Gaza. He infamously called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, suggesting the enclave’s coastal land “could be very valuable.”  His remarks, as expected, prompted outrage.

But the Trump administration’s new plan for Gaza reportedly rules out both the annexation of the occupied West Bank and the forced displacement of Palestinians. Observers view this as a key concession for Arab allies — particularly in the oil-rich Gulf — whose cooperation is essential for Gaza’s post-war recovery.

Kushner’s enduring ties with Netanyahu also play into this equation. Their longstanding relationship symbolises the personal and political entanglements that define Kushner’s influence.

As peace talks in Sharm El-Sheikh are progressing, observers say Kushner’s presence could bolster the Gulf’s confidence in Trump’s peace push. “The new Trump plan has Gulf fingerprints all over it,” Pinfold noted. “Kushner’s involvement demonstrates GCC buy-in since he’s the administration official closest to the Gulf. His role will boost Gulf confidence and reinforce their status as Trump whisperers.”

Whether viewed as a pragmatic negotiator or a controversial opportunist, Kushner’s return to the Middle East’s diplomatic stage underscores how personal networks, Gulf capital, and geopolitical influence continue to shape the region’s most sensitive peace efforts.

Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org