“Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid,” Jared Kushner said.
Does that include Israel?
1
What world is this? We have one son of an unscrupulous property developer who is the "leader of the free world", and another son of an uncrupulous ,ex-con real estate developer who is "making deals" that is a major component for peace in the world. Neither has the intelligence or any experience. How is this happening?
9
The absolutely unqualified and undiplomatic sounding Jared is apparently taking action with the approval of Trump and Bolton. In any case Jared appears to be the point person in an effort to “punish”:the Palestinians. It seems that Jared and the administration iare playing with fire in one of the most contentious region on earth.
I wonder what if any role Congress and the State department have in this action?
8
Punishing Trump's minions who met with Russians and lied on their security clearance applications probably wouldn't hurt the chances for a peace deal either.
1
I know we're living in the post-truth era and all, but I'm still having trouble with the Newspeak. How exactly do "alternative facts" intersect with "false realities"? How is the Giuliani assertion that "Truth isn't truth" to be properly applied here for it to make sense? Does the notion of "make sense" still even make sense? If it doesn't, then I guess that somehow self-consistent. But shouldn't that in itself worry us, consistency being a hallmark of truth, which no longer is?
I'm not getting the hang of this, am I? Just send them all to jail before it does my head in completely -- please!
I completely understand why Palestine can't trust the US. Even Trump's supporters and friends can't trust him.
11
"...not to mention hours of pointless negotiations over land they were not able to defend and secure."
In other words, might makes right.
I take your point to be that weaker populations deserve to have their land taken from them by stronger populations. Following your logic, WW II should never have happened, since you would grant Germany and Japan the right to seize lands from countries that were unable to defend and secure their own borders.
If the Israelis HADN'T received massive financial, military, and diplomatic support beginning in the early 20th century, they also would not have been able to defend and secure the land they seized from the existing residents.
If the Palestinians HAD received the same level of financial, military, and diplomatic support as Israel has, the picture in the Middle East would probably look very different than it does today. But since they didn't, you seem to believe it was totally appropriate for them and their families to lose the land where they had lived and farmed for centuries.
Perhaps your idea of a successful negotiation is "I win, you lose." If that's correct, then you must think that the Israeli/Palestinian situation is a wildly successful outcome.
13
@Max. I think Israels 'survival' days are currently over. Thanks to 70 years of US backing they are one of the richest and most militarily powerful countries in the region. Conflict alliances have changed in the Middle East since the US (with Israeli support) smashed Iraq into a failed state and Syria is aflame in a vicious civil war. Saudi is now Israel's ally as well as the US and the war between Sunnis and Shias is the main source of conflict - not Arabs vs Israel.
Palestinians are weak, poor, and strategic to no one. If the US and Israel continue their war of attrition Gaza's days are numbered - whether that means full occupation or exile of Palestinians to somewhere else. The Palestinians of Gaza are the ones fighting for survival now.
I recognize that the whole situation is longstanding and brutally complex and that Israel has made more good faith peace attempts than the Palestinians. But right now the power game in the Middle East has changed and as always the Big Players will be victorious and the weak players will have to acquiesce.
5
Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid,” he said.
Especially Israel. Do the American people know that Israel is the largest recepient of foreign aid? And for what? They have no intention of following America’s legitimately request that they stop building settlements on Land earmarked for the Palestinians. And they’re not even a democracy anymore. (That is always the first reason American politicians give for giving aid to Israel: Its the Middle East’s only democracy. Except a good portion of the people who live there are not aloud to vote. How can you be a democracy if only one religion is allowed to vote?
11
I feel sorry for the Palestinians. Unlike the Israelis, they have never been blessed with strong, effective leaders. They have squandered chance after chance in holding out for something better. They could have had their own state years ago, but they still want a right of return that will never happen.
I'm not sure what the solution is. But both Gaza and the West Bank are a mess. And the Palestinians still seem unwilling to try to negotiate something better. If they held out for a capital in East Jerusalem, and for Israel to give up some settlements in exchange for others, there might be a deal there.
But it doesn't look anyone's going to move on the Palestinian side. Who could? They have no leader. And Israel is not going to give up anything unless it gets peace in return.
Seems like the only smart leader is Kim Jong Un, who stepped right up to the bargaining table to see what he could get. Others like Claude Juncker and Emmanuel Macron have not done too shabby either.
How will it end? Donald Trump likes to make moves to shake things up and then see what happens. Expect more of the same.
5
For an administration which has actively fought with allies while wooing enemies, the interesting major exception appears to have been the Middle East - supporting Israel and Saudi Arabia and rejecting Palestinians. The common thread reconciling it all ? the Trump family’s personal interests, rather than American ones
7
As tragic as the Palestinian position has become over the decades since 1948, it seems unlikely that the naive antics of young tyro Kushner will actually make them worse. With Bibi in power in Israel, there will never be a peace agreement no matter what the US does. Bibi has progressed from lying to Obama to schmoozing with the Trumps.
The new optics are surely unattractive, but from the Palestinian standpoint the underlying reality is probably no more desperate than it was before. It will be fun to see what ends up in Kushner's plan. Since he went to Harvard, we should at least be able to look forward to complete sentences. After being numbed by his father-in-law's tweets, the plan might actually come across as great literature.
4
Another smart talking back door Harvard graduate on art of the deal..... all the 'No before a Yes'. Frame your foreign strategy in Kushner's time frame of a one term president, is similar to opening a can of carbonated drink - all fizzle and bubbles, doesn't do much.
Kushner be sent back to Harvard Library for extra readings in M. E and American history, politics and international law and not given briefings by State Sept and other Security Agencies to make him look and talk smart.
7
Just like his father in law, he is profoundly selfish and blind to things that get in the way of his interests. Slumlord diplomacy; cull his opponents. Autocrats and dictators were ever thus. Me me me me me.
Disgusting!
9
Our Old Testament Ayn Rand evangelicals find they have more in common with rightist Israelis in charge than with Jesus. No surprises here. God forbid the Gospels!
4
Europe can increase their charity to the needy PLO and the war-mongering meddling Iran for that matter.
Enough PLO postering has been printed in the NYT to last many lifetimes...if only we could have save all those wasted trees...not to mention hours of pointless negotiations over land they were not able to defend and secure.
Apparently, this is the way the PLO prefers their citizens to live...without peace or prosperity.
11
@ Charlie. I agree that the whole situation is longstanding and infuriatingly complex. The Palestinians have suffered from woefully inept, corrupt, and self serving leadership that the people have not done enough to oppose and correct.
However it is a fairly good bet that the emerging state of Israel would not have survived 5 years (if that) without the massive infusion of money and military hardware from the US - aide that has continued yearly for 70 years.
Israel is a strategic military and political ally of the US in the Middle East. (And now so is Saudi Arabia). The Palestinians are strategic to no one and never have been. Other Arab/Muslim countries ( with the exception of Jordan and Lebanon) have used them as a political football to kick around for their own self interests and have contributed nothing to their welfare or hopes of sovereignty. And they are powerless to defend themselves from being used for Iran's proxy war through Hamas.
I think the failure of Palestine to survive as a sovereign state is a foregone conclusion given the nature of realities in the Middle East. Numbering about 5 million people they may end up being one of the new diasporas in the world. A difficult proposition to face considering the hostility and hatred of immigrants today.
6
Jared Kushner's being a flake aside, this looks like an attempt at siege warfare with the goal of starving out the Palestinians to affect their ultimate capitulation and compliance with occupation or removal.
28
Obviously it won't affect a peace deal, because there never was going to be a peace deal. Many fine people on both sides. Lol.
14
Between years of 1967-1968, the then Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol had Theodor Meron, the Legal Adviser to the Israeli Foreign, wrote several memos on the new territories. Theodor Meron's memo said, " My conclusion is that civilian settlement in the administered territories contravenes explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. " He said that only the IDF should allowed into the territories. With the IDF role in the territories, he did not specify any time period. Eshkol ignored Meron's conclusions. And he began the settlements into the territory.
No matter how much Jared Kushner says that people being punished will comply, he is deluded. Throughout history, those who felt aggrieved will respond with violence and terrible methods.
Also, many years ago, Yasir Arafat proverbially, shot himself in the foot, when he did not agree with the then Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the land deal. Arafat was digging his heels and would not go further talks.
8
The most idiotic thing to come from the White House and that includes for other nonsensical policies such as the embassy move, the cancellation of aid to UNRWA and the shutting down of the office of the Palestinian representative. It seems as if this all designed to promote more antagonism and strife rather than peace. Yes, seven decades of failed policy are there to be seen and books have been written about why from every perspective, but no one in their right mind has ever recommended this set of policies. They are doomed to even more spectacular failure than seen to date.
21
Let's be honest, Kushner is trying to break the back of the Palestinian people under the guise of trying to obtain peace in the region.
27
“Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid,” Jared Kushner said.” The world is so much more complex than unschooled Jared (dragging his limited experience and thin course-work in what to a Harvard degree?) should be allowed to say.
18
He has a law degree. And I love that, because it will make it so much harder for him to claim ignorance of the law when he is indicted. And he will be indicted - someday, by some prosecutor, for some larceny that can no longer go unnoticed.
7
NPR interviewed the PLO representative yesterday when the announcement came out that the PLO
office was told to close. In response to the administration’s comment that this somehow would make the Palestinians more likely to be open to negotiations, the rep noted that the approach was similar to how business is done in the NYC real estate market. If you want to make an offer for a piece of property, you spend all your time pointing out all the flaws and problems. Keep it up long enough and loudly enough and the value of the property begins to fall. Then you come in and grab it at a substantial discount.
12
I thought in a peace process each side makes offers of good will to get things rolling instead of making the other side really mad. The negotiator tries to be unbiased and gets each side talking.
Did the Trump administration do this? No, The embassy is moved, funds for hospitals and schools are taken away.
Based upon his actions so far, I would not be surprised that Kushner's peace plan includes that Israel gets not only the Gaza Strip, but also the West Bank. The other side gets an eviction notice. (A typical Trump/Kushner style deal.)
17
The Trump administration has made it clear. Not giving Palestinians citizenship in the countries they reside in and keeping them in refugee camps for 70 years doesn't qualify them for refugee status. The bogus refugee issue and the right of return was an Arab strategy meant to destroy and conquer Israel after losing every war which the Arabs started. Palestinians aren't not a distinct people but Arabs that migrated into the area. The last thing needed is to divide the land further and create another Arab State. The administration approach that Jordan should reclaim the territory they lost in the 1967 makes the most sense for resolution of the conflict. The majority of Jordan's population are Palestinian so why shouldn't Arabs that live in Ramallah and Jericho join up with brothers in Jordan. It's a common sense solution. Israel and the US and the EU will support this solution with a Marshall Plan type economic aid and the rest of the Arab world will have to recognize Israel and agree the conflict is over. INSHALLAH.
10
It's all about the money. Evangelicals have made Israel the downtrodden darling and Netanyahu knows that without the US and the Jewish donors his gig would be up. Every time anyone gets close to a Palestinian with the intent of giving them a voice in their future or their home, Israel kills it. To Israel, hatred makes friends, not peace.
46
@Gretchen
Every time Israel offers to end the occupation, the Palestinians say “No!”
Even Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia (certainly not a Zionist) said that Arafat’s refusal to accept the January 2001 offer was a crime. Thousands of people would die because of Arafat’s decision & not one of those deaths could be justified.
As Bill Clinton later wrote in his memoir:
It was historic: an Israeli government had said that to get peace, there would be a Palestinian state in roughly 97 percent of the West Bank, counting the [land] swap, and all of Gaza, where Israel also had settlements. The ball was in Arafat’s court.
But Arafat would not, or could not, bring an end to the conflict. “I still didn’t believe Arafat would make such a colossal mistake,” Clinton wrote. “The deal was so good I couldn’t believe anyone would be foolish enough to let it go.” But the moment slipped away. “Arafat never said no; he just couldn’t bring himself to say yes.”
12
In the end it always is about the mon$y, but for these homeless GAZA refugees it’s about their lost lands too. At least some of it should be returned to them, but Jared evidently has “ other” plans afoot!
7
I am very left wing. But where I part company with the left is over Israel. Continuing to give aid to the Palestinians is merely delaying the inevitable. They do not want peace because peace entails recognition of the State of Israel, which they will not acknowledge. Why? Because unlike Israel, for all its faults, it, like the rest of the first world, has separation of church and state. The Palestinians do not. Consequently, the root of the ongoing conflict is not settlers in the “occupied” territories or the supposedly warrantless Gaza blockades, it is this: the Palestinians, as Muslims, cannot and will tolerate the idea of sovereignty by infidels over what they feel is Islamic land. Let the Palestinian governments, both of them, make separation of church and state a part of their charters, then let them talk peace. And, while they are at it, eliminate destruction of the state of Israel as specific provisions from their charters. That might help.
14
It seems to me Israel don't have separation church and government either.
16
Neither he or any of his wife's family have any credibility left. I am expecting him and in laws will be indicted before Mueller's investigation is done.
39
Seems like they are stepping up the war of attrition. Starve people of hope, make them desperate and then take away their dignity.. You know diplomacy.
26
@Awake
When Prime Minister Ehud Olmert presented his peace plan, Abbas didn't even respond.
7
We have been the main financial supporter of the Palestinians for over 70 years thru all the different UN agencies etc. yet they have not agreed to multiple credible and very fair peace deals. Is it our obligation to keep feeding the hand that punches, kicks and kills us and our allies? I don’t think so.
14
If this peace plan ever sees the light of day, it will be a miracle. Written by a woefully ignorant and biased lightweight, the future of the plan is doubtful. When he brags about his experience in negotiations, he fails to understand that a real estate deal, or obtaining loans, is not the same thing as deciding people’s lives. Bludgeoning people into submission just doesn’t work. Between Netanyahu and Kushnir, the chances for peace in the Middle East are minimal.
20
@fduchene
Why was there no peace before Netanyahu and Kushner?
3
“There were too many false realities that were created — that people worship — that I think needed to be changed,”... “All we’re doing is dealing with things as we see them and not being scared out of doing the right thing." (Word salad from the feeble brained).
This word salad comes from the neophyte whose only"foreign relations"experience is scrounging money from foreign investors to service a boat-load of debt on office buildings.
I shake my head in disgust that this is what America has been reduced to.
30
I once had a student at a Yeshiva. She told me that she believed that there should be peace. She said that the Palestinians,or the "Arabs" in her words, should be peacefully allowed to get into boats or cross over into Jordon so as to leave every inch of Israel in the hands of its rightful owners. My guess is that Trump's peace plan will be just about the same.
25
It appears that Jared is partaking in the Kool-Aid nostrums peddled by his father-in-law. Does any sentient being really think that making life even more miserable for a displaced people is going to lead them to participate in any agreement brokered by someone as naive as Mr. Kushner or as delusional as Mr. Trump? Fantastical self-deception must be contagious.
18
In the lexicon of the White House, "false realities" belongs in the same category as "alternative facts."
14
Kushner has taken his plan directly out of his father-in-laws playbook. Give your opponent, and let’s not kid ourselves that the Palestinians are anything other than opponents of Israel and the USA, give them nothing but bad to worse options and ask them to pick one. Throw in a heavy dose of coercion. If they agree to be humiliated, great. If not, blame them for not recognizing reality. Either way, try to steamroll them.
The logical question, being asked by the Palestinians and many others, is “Who are you kidding”. It’s obvious that Trump and Israel have no interest in a peace deal. They want acquiescence from and humiliation for the Palestinians.
People used to ask if Israel would choose democracy or apartheid. That question has been answered. The follow-up question is apartheid or expulsion.
20
So far the place plan seems to consist of trying to get rid of the Palestinians and allowing Israel to take over all territory.
Hence no money for hospitals.
I hope Kushner realizes that he is contributing to a humanitarian disaster.
22
Mr. Kushner has all but boasted of his role in “punishing Palestinians.” For Palestinians, men like Kushner, David Friedman and Jason Greenblatt, are not mere idiosyncrasies. They represent an imperialist pattern in which powerful foreign men, who happen to be committed Zionists, are entrusted by a global superpower to determine their future. The image of three ardent Zionists posing as U.S. peace envoys echoes tragic episodes from history (Lord Arthur Balfour comes to mind).
Once again, Palestinians are faced with the grim prospect of having their destiny dictated by foreign officials who, empowered with a strong superpower mandate, are willing to trade their presumed mission as peacemakers for a blunt support of Israel. Indeed, like their British predecessors, perhaps worse, the three U.S. officials are now viewed by Palestinians as committed Zionists posing as peacemakers, and whose aggressive engagement in the country’s affairs bodes ill for their future. This is a perilous recurrence. We know how the British Mandate ended.
19
"False realities"?? Does this phrase make any sense at all to anyone? Apart from Mr Kushner?
May I humbly suggest that a reality that the US must recognise is that the US is now (and has been for some time) every bit as much the metropolitan power in regard to Israel as say France was in regard to its colony in Algeria. Empire takes many forms, some rather indistinct.
11
The Republican Party will punish the Palestinians as long as they know it will gain votes with their ultra-conservative base and the Evangelical Christians who support Trump with a 95% approval rating. The United States is rapidly losing all the aura of the moral leader of the free world it possessed since the end of WWII.
21
Why does his opinion matter. He was never elected to anything. He is a Joke!
31
Smart. When a strategy doesn't work for 30 years, it needs to change. You can't broker peace when one party fundamentally doesn't want it. Palestinians have benefited from the fruits of false willingness to negotiate. It's time to withdraw subsidies and allowances until the PLO demonstrates a willingness to deal. It has been wrong to assume there were good people on both sides, when one side calls for the destruction of the other, manipulates globalist organizations and launches terror attacks on civilians.
42
@TL Maybe bullying works in real estate development, at least for those who like to use our bankruptcy laws to get rid of their bad investments, but it has never, ever worked in diplomacy. Nor in trade. Nor in immigration control. Nor in building stronger alliances. Nor in canceling agreements developed by other Presidents in good faith. Nor in helping to resolve the Israel Palestine problem when Israel reneges on a two state solution. Indeed, that's what this is about. Israel doesn't want the two state solution called for in the Oslo accords. BTW, the PLO recognized Israel in the Oslo accord. Hamas doesn't recognize the accords, but why punish the PLO, which has no control over Gaza?
13
@TL
You can't broker peace when one party -- Israel, in Netanyahu's, Sharon's, Shamir's and Begin's positions -- fundamentally reject a peaceful settlement. Israel has benefited from its power, vastly underwritten by US aid. It is time to withdraw those subsidies until the Israeli government demonstrates a willingness genuinely to seek peace. It has been wrong to think that people of good will were negotiating on both sides -- certainly there are good people in both populations, but leaders . . . not so much. Witness mass imprisonment, assassination of leaders, manipulation of international news sources and the bombing of captive populations.
15
@TL Yes, you are correct. It hasn't worked for more than 30 years, so it should be changed. How about this? Put pressure, real pressure, on the Israeli government to stop settlements, to stop the annexation of East Jerusalem, to stop the systemic discrimination of a people whom they occupy and exert control over every aspect of their lives. Do that, be a real honest broker in the transaction, and you would get a deal.
6
"Aid should be used to further national interests and help those in need, he said." As opposed to, say, the purpose of the tax cuts for the rich here?
Our national security advisor has praised Israel as a "liberal, democratic" state. Why is that a good thing there, but despised and threatened here at home?
5
Jared Kushner does not have the credibility, intelligence, experience, competence or expertise to occupy that post. His nomination was one of the most egregious example of nepotism seen anywhere in a long time. Just think about it a second or two: naming an unapologetic and fierce of a very flawed Israel to broker a peace deal. Makes no sense. Like sending Colonel Sanders to broker a peace deal between chickens and chicken slaughterhouses. Whatever happens, the chickens are bound to lose.
The Palestinian responsibility in the historic failure of mid-east peace talks is real and not to be overlooked. But that is a separate issue from the appointment of JK to a post that is clearly and astronomically above his capabilities.
15
Kushner: “Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid,”
This is of course true------However, I will believe Kushner means this when we offer the exact same aid (or lack thereof) to both Israel and the Palestinians. It appears that the Trump administration is pushing an already imbalanced aid and support situation to one that is even more out of balance. Nobody can expect anything fair and reasonable from this administration, much less any kind of honest attempt at making peace.
21
The two-state solution is the only lasting peace deal. The Palestinians will have to agree to Israeli control of the external borders of the new Palestinian state, and the Palestinian state will have no armed forces except for internal police. If they can't swallow these terms, forget it. The Israelis will have to agree to East Jerusalem being the capital of the new Palestinian state, and the Israelis will have to withdraw from most if not all of the settlements in the West Bank. If they can't swallow this, forget it. It's not that hard, folks. Just a matter of human pride, which of course usually wins out....meaning, no deal.
1
@C.L.S.
Why should Israelis have to withdraw from the settlements? Why is it OK for Israel to have 1.6 million Arabs citizens, but not OK for Palestine to have even one Jewish citizen.
The settlers are generally wealthier than the Palestinians, so granting the settlers Palestinian citizenship in a Palestinian state will be good for the Palestinian economy.
8
He's right. Israel has no intention to make peace with Palestine no matter what we do.
21
@Justin
Israel accepted the UN Partition Resolution.
The Palestinians did not.
Israel accept the Clinton Parameters.
The Palestinians did not.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert presented a peace offer to Abbas.
Abbas never even responded.
9
The Trump administration is working with the Israeli government to "write off" the Palestinians. A company writes something off when there is nothing more to be gained by maintaining it. The US and Israel are dismissing the Palestinians as an entity altogether. We will see what happens. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians is not possible when you dismiss one party, as the Trump administration as done. The Democrats would have maintained the charade, but Trump has been honest about writing off Palestinians. Let's watch what happens!
5
As I said previously, the oppressed have become the oppressors. How soon we forget history.
13
@Cavilov
Khaled Abu Toameh, the Arab journalist who reports for the Jerusalem Post, U.S. News & World Report and NBC News, talking about life for Arab Israelis: "Israel is a wonderful place to live ... a free and open country.”
Arab women in Israel live longer than Arab women in any Arab country.
Arab babies in Israel have lower infant mortality than Arab babies in any Arab country.
Hadassah University Medical Center in Israel established a registry for Arab donors of bone marrow and stem cells to facilitate life-saving transplants. The registry at Hadassah Hospital is the only one in the world for Arabs and will no doubt save the lives not only of Arab Israelis but also of some citizens of Arab countries, not a single one of which has a registry of its own.
That doesn't sound like oppression to me.
9
There seems no limit to what this family of grifters - oh, sorry, "dealmakers" thinks it's qualified to do. Let's see the unelected "end-runners" in the West Wing who Bob Woodward wrote about, and are allegedly trying to save the country from the worst of Trump's stupidities, rein in Kushner. They can't. An immient crisis with North Korea may have be forestalled. Who knows what kind of damage our current Middle East policies will reap. Trump is setting the stage for WW3, one way or another.
14
It certainly won’t hurt what Kushner considers a “peace deal”, as that is dead on arrival anyway. It hurts people - but then Kushner doesn’t consider them human anyway so why should he care.
13
Hum. Dr. Michaela Oren recently said, "Closing the PLO's DC embassy sends exactly the right message: the Palestinians will no longer be rewarded for rejecting peace talks and violating US law. If incentives couldn't bring them to the table perhaps punishment will." Punishment.
Oren lavished Trump. Trump is Kushner. Kushner and Trump are Money Lauderers Without Borders. These men are America's middleast directors.
10
Well, if that great fount of wisdom and hard earned life experience says it’s so, it must be. Why is he even asked?
8
If this was The Apprentice, he would be out in week one.
15
Trump and Kushner think that the Palestinians, upon seeing the reality of how desperate their situation is, will give up, surrender, and agree to terms dictated by the U.S. and Israel.
History shows that collectively punishing a people unites them in opposition to the Punisher; so, good luck with battering the Palestinians into an agreement, maybe you'll make history.
22
He's right. Since the chance of peace was and is zero, it 's obviously not been harmed in the slightest.
I do more seriously want to note the gross distortion in the headline. He did not say that punishing Palestinians helps the peace deal. That implies that he characterized what he's doing as punishment, and that implication is completely false. You may think of it as punishment, but that doesn't mean he thinks so too or that you can imply he does.
3
Wasn't Jared Kushner supposed to have already succeeded at bring peace to the Middle East? That's what I remember being told. He announced in June that his big plan was about to be released and everything was going to fall into place. This is just more of the same. Of course punishing Palestinians won't hurt the chance for peace when there is no real chance with his father-in-law in office. Only punishment.
25
The US can no longer be considered an honest broker in this dispute -- as a mediator accepted and trusted by both parties. But, what other country could play that role? Every other major country and several councils of the UN have been critical of Israel's actions and policies on the West Bank and the Palestinians, probably making all of them unacceptable to Israel.
4
Kushner has pulled a full Harvey Weinstein on the world. Instead of running around looking for looted art, Jared Kushner just shot the Palestinians dead from his financially troubled 666 Fifth Avenue building, and ...... nothing happened, or so he thinks.
The Kushner-Netanyahu Palestinian land grab, the unilateral pulling out of the Iranian nuclear disarmament deal, the Jerusalem land grab, the racialization of refugees in the southern border of the US (complete with concentration camps) by Steven Miller are just a few of the Kushner-related accomplishments that are destabilizing the country’s security
The Netanyahu-led move that forced the US to invade Iraq has caused sheer misery and displacement of millions of people in the Middle East, millions of whom have unwittingly ended in Western Europe causing further dislocation and unease. The Kushner-Netanyahu policy is both amoral and unethical.
Global public opinion fully understands who’s architecting all this calamity.
63
The world united to give Israel a nation and lands. Now they treat the same basic body with disdain as they continue their apartheid with no interest in stability or compromise. Few palestinians in the lands under Israeli control were alive during the establishment of Israel.
14
@burf
The UN is prejudiced against Israel.
For example, the UN criticized only one country for its treatment of women. It was not Saudi Arabia where women were not allowed to drive. It was not Egypt or Iraq or Yemen where girls suffer from female genital mutilation. It was not Palestine or Jordan or Iran where women are subjected to honor killings. It was Israel – a country that has had a female prime minister & female fighter pilots.
The 10 worst countries for human rights are: Syria, Sudan, DR Congo, Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Yemen & Nigeria. So why are there more UN Resolutions against Israel than against the 10 worst countries combined?
There is no boycott of China even though China invaded Tibet & transferred millions of Chinese settlers into Tibet.
There is no boycott of Turkey even though Turkey occupies part of Cyprus and Turkish settlers have moved into occupied Cyprus.
There is no boycott of Morocco which occupies part of Western Sahara.
Unlike China, Turkey and Morocco, the Israel's occupation began because Israel was attacked. Also, unlike China, Turkey and Morocco, Israel offered to end the occupation if Palestinians would sign a peace treaty.
7
Although I'm not a fan of the Trump administration, I do think it's about time this country sees the Palestinians for who they really are. The decades they got financial aid, they could have used it to help build up their infrastructure, but used it to build tunnels and get weapons instead. The only real reason their people live in poverty is because of the way their autonomy is handling the aid, not Israel or even the US in that matter. One day, everyone will wake up to see the true frauds the PA really is and understand why such aid was cut off to them. Let's not forget that the PA was given chances in both 2000 and 2008 by Israel for a chance to have a state of their own and refused both times. However, they don't have to see this as a bad thing, because they can always hate the US for free, because I don't see why the US should giving aid to countries that actually hate us. If anything, I would rather see aid countries that support us such as Israel especially since they tend to pay it back all the time unlike so many third world countries that never do. Overall, as long as the Palestinians continue to commit to killing all Israelis and Jews in that matter, there will never be peace. When the Palestinians are finally ready to make a peace deal for real, Israel will be there to negotiate with them, but until then, they will continue to live the way they do now, which is a result of their own doing, not Israel's.
15
@Tal Barzilai Do you believe stripping $25 million from hospitals providing critical medical care for Palestinians (including at least 2 Christian-run facilities), is somehow going to help the peace process?
20
Exactly how many Palestinians are really getting treated in their own hospital? The real answer is not very much. If any are getting treated there it's mostly members of the PA and Hamas, while the rest are denied that treatment. As a matter of fact, most Palestinians have found themselves treated in Israeli hospitals instead, which shows once again how Israel cares about the lives of others. There has been found evidence that Hamas is known for actually using hospitals in the Gaza Strip as military bases and they know that the IDF will never strike at these no matter what especially with the bad press they will be getting from doing so. Once again, I ask how is that the Palestinians don't seem to have the money to help their people and infrastructure, but have so much for having weapons to fire at Israeli civilians. Another thing is how so many of the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip live in poverty while those of both Hamas and Fatah, who are both in the PA, along with their families are the ones living like royalty. That really such why they are such bad conditions due to misusing their aid that is given to them.
1
Great. America has now shed its very last vestiges of impartiality as a broker. "Peace" is indeed now possible (though a very one-sided one -- an enhanced occupation).
17
I have no issues with forcing them
To the negotiating table by withholding money but that should also be applied to the billions in aid that go to Israel. Why are US tax payers on the hook for billions on billions to Israel?
51
@Anonymous - Why? To secure the Jewish vote. And to please the evangelical base. Ethics and principles don't have any role with that bunch in the White House.
15
@Anonymous
The whole world benefits from Israel’s advances in science, medicine & technology, but we Americans also benefit from our access to intelligence from MOSSAD which is considered one of the world’s best intelligence agencies & from being able to pre-position military supplies in Israel in case we want to intervene in the Middle East & from Israeli expertise in developing weapons systems. We gave F-15's to Israel & Israel improved them, 700 modifications. Thanks to Israel, we now have better warplanes. Also, Israel is a laboratory & the Israelis are guinea pigs in learning how a democratic society can deal with terrorism. Israel is on the front line battling terrorism. The terrorists say “First the Saturday people (Jews) then the Sunday people (Christians.) Israel is the barrier island protecting the West.
4
Cutting aid at this point makes sense. The Palestinian government is not an ally.
Any aid short fall can be paid by the Saudis, or other rich allies of theirs.
Being fair, aid to Israel should end too. They are not a third world nation in need. Loan guarantees to buy US made goods is all they should receive. Israel is an ally, but not in need of aid.
14
The US provides billions of dollars of aid to Israel even when they blatantly expand Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law. Yet Kushner views the tiny amount of aid that the US provided to the Palestinians as an entitlement program. With such a biased pro-Israel viewpoint the Trump Administration is delusional to believe it will achieve a peace deal. In fact its more likely that they will cause violent confrontations.
55
While Palestinian political culture certainly suffers from rank stagnation, corruption, and illiberality, I fear Kushner and Trump's punitive measures will do little to inspire elections, transparency, or liberalization of the impoverished Palestinian people. Actually, it seems likely that such moves will only motivate extremism, help political hardliners like Hamas become further entrenched, and encourage violence. Historically, with the removal of foreign in aid in such environments, political Islam is the strongest party to fill the void. It is a strange and imprudent cruelty, hurting the weakest in society with the hopes that such effects will trickle up to the only responsible Palestinian authorities (as woeful as the leaders in Ramallah people may be). Although these moves put Kushner's inexperience and privilege on display, one must certainly wonder what the policymakers in Jerusalem are planning and/or expecting in return for lending their support to such feckless American maneuvers.
7
A walk alone thru Palestine might change kushner's perspective.
28
@johnw
Palestine...aka ancient Judea and Samaria....erstwhile province of the Ottoman Empire and territory of the British Mandate....no longer exists.
Now called Israel and Jordan.
6
Why is he even here? Go home!
17
Israel needs to tell West Bank Palestinians that they can forget about an independent state on the West Bank. They had their chance. They didn't take it. That ship has sailed.
The West Bank needs to be incorporated into Israel-proper. West Bankers should get full Israeli citizenship. Those who lost land, money or businesses should get Just Compensation as under the legal Doctrine of Eminant Domain.
West Bank Palestinians can get some autonomy as French Canadians do in Quebec. And that's it. Case closed. With the huge influx of Jews since 1948 the region alloted to Jews is too small to support a viable state for Jews much less two states.
The UN should declare Garza an independent state whether Gaza wants it or not. Israel vacated Gqza years ago. Egypt doesn't want Gaza back. Independence is the only viable outcome.
There's your Palestinian State. Gaza!
5
@MIKEinNYC
Apparently the so-called ‘international community’ has conveniently forgotten that the British Mandate awarded 80% of the former province aka Palestine to the Arabs for their exclusive benefit....now called Jordan...i.e. the defacto Arab Palestinian state.
And they should be entitled to yet another state west of the Jordan river....because?
9
Annex the West Bank and then grant all its residents full Israeli citizenship? The first could happen - many right-wing Israelis crave that. But, adding millions of Palestinian Arabs to the voting rolls of the state of Israel - that will never happen. In fact, there are already moves afoot in Israel to create another, inferior class of citizenship with limited rights (perhaps in anticipation of annexation at some time in the future). Liberal Israeli Jews and many Jews in the diaspora are resisting those anti-democratic moves which would establish a policy of apartheid.
5
@Shenoa cica 1926 "His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country." aka The Balfour Declaration
“Citing his experience as a dealmaker, Mr. Kushner said...”
Oh good grief. Yes, because haggling the price of a few condos in between finding tax loopholes is exactly comparable to 2,000 years of history and 70yrs of feeling betrayed. Oh, hubris, the pride before the inevitable fall. What a silly, naive boy he is.
91
Jared Kushner has the deadest, coldest inhuman eyes I’ve ever had the misfortune to have to look at in a newspaper. This a young man. Beyond creepy.
Oh, and he has ZERO experience and knowledge about solving the problems in the Middle East. None. Zip. Way in over his miserable, over-privileged little dead-eyed self.
69
God, that is accurate.
5
Little Jared is critiquing the Oslo accords. Cute. Does he understand what's happened so far? Does he understand the damage his father-in-law has already done to Israeli-Palestinian relations, let alone making it open season on Jews in America?
Next up, Eric Trump runs NASA.
59
Clinton, Bush and Obama accomplished nothing using the peace process framework of Oslo. That was going no where.
May as well try something new rather than stick with that approach.
The problem is that many people entrenched in this peace process battle liked to think of Oslo as a great success. They are politically tied to it even though it was a failure. Any other way confuses them. They are mentally stuck.
Time to make a deal or move on. No more aid to either Israel or Palestine. Punish them both until a deal is done.... It wouldn't be too difficult to get a group of nations to sanction Israel. Israel has made very few friends by way of its actions! No more positive incentives. Force the deal..Too much money and time wasted on this.
2
Although I am no fan of the Trump administration I agree with Mr. Kushner that for too long foreign aid has been misappropriated by the receiving powers, with the sole aim of retaining power based on outdated realities.
You want aid; fine. Show that the peoples lives are improving.
Stop hiding behind your own inadequacies.
Results count
6
Peace plan? What peace plan? Is kushner, quite literally, waiting for Godot to deliver it to him?
13
Trump and Kushner have have absolutely proven they are not honest brokers of peace.
They are sowing the seeds of hate that are bound to come back on us.
26
Israel has continued to illegally expand settlements and to maintain the Palestinian population in a status of occupation. Millions remain in refugee camps and even Israeli-born Arabs retain second-class status. Kushner is not a disinterested party and his "peace plan" is nothing more than re-hashed Netanyahu nationalism, premised on simply starving the Palestinians to the negotiating table and into settlement. It's a razor thin and ultimately phony facade. Peace without justice is not a solution. And we've entered the rabbit hole wherein to suggest that we have a human rights issue here is somehow anti-semitic...
33
This article makes me ill. Can we do any more to the poor Palestinians than has already been done by Israel, the US and its Allies since the creation of the State of Israel all those years ago !!!!! So far The Trump administration and the Presidency of Netanyahu have been the worst, and making Jerusalem the new capital and the building of more and more Jewish Settlements in the West BANK have left the hope of any credible negotiations impossible for a peaceful settlement. Taking funding away from these people is the last straw !!!!!
38
“Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid,” Kushner said.
Said the man who supports additional billions of dollars of annual "entitlements" to Israel.
103
So this prevaricator, a child in terms of experience in the REAL world, gets to settle a conflict that, in modern times is over a century old. Why does he deserve even a column inch of coverage when he is woefully pro Israel; woefully a dissembler with regard to everything he dissembles about (everything) and a small time hood in the shadow of another small time hood. NYT can you please tell me? Because this report here tells me only that he continues in his own way to promote the tried and untrue mythology of the invention of Israel as a modern nation-state. That is, "a land without a people for a people without a land." That the Palestinian people are interlopers who should move somewhere else, how about Jordan or anywhere else, except of course, well anywhere. It is the Palestinian peoples fault that they are refugees because they themselves created that situation. Over and over again ad nauseam. Full disclosure: I am Jewish, not a self-hater and do not believe that this man or his father in law or the current ambassador to Israel have the best interest of anyone in mind except maybe Bibi and the Saudi prince and Adelson.
50
Jared ran the NY Observer into the ground and nearly lost the family fortune by overpaying for 666 Fifth Avenue, all in just a few short years. Cannot correctly fill out paperwork for a security clearance even after 40 tries. A veritable boy genius.
Why rest on your laurels? Off to bring peace to the Middle East.
77
So the Trump family is using their traditional negotiating system which is you get nothing and we get everything and you have to come begging or any crumbs we decide to provide. So there. Obviously, jewish settlements will continue and Palestinians will be hemmed in tighter and tighter with no access to food and medicines? You can tell how religiousness is influencing the Trump family and their buddies. Right out of the Ann Coulter playbook, since she stated on national television a few years back that anyone who didn't cover to Christianity should just be killed. And for all those Evangelicals that think the "final days" will cause all Jews to immediately convert to Christianity, don't hold your breath, even if Coulter is holding a gun on them!
18
"Nobody is entitled to America's foreign aid," according to Kushner. Does this apply to Israel, too? How many times has the U.S. been the sole defender of Israel's policies, while the rest of the world (including most of our allies) has sought to condemn Israel's actions? Israel can take land away from others, shoot them for throwing rocks, bomb other countries and plant spies in the U.S., yet we think this is fair and Israel can do no harm? That, in itself, shows "entitlement, Mr. Kusher.
43
Please tell me what Kushner's qualifications are other than son-in-law. Are we merely props for their personal playground?
34
I am truly conflicted as an American Jew. On the one hand, plus 4 fingers from the other hand, I despise the Trump administration and long for the day he will be led away in shackles and chains. Regarding peace in the middle east between Palestinians and Jews, I don't think the vast majority of Arabs want any kind of lasting peace that includes the continued existence of a Jewish state. Any peace plan they agree to would only be a stepping stone and staging ground for the final solution of ridding the middle east of all Jews. This is the unspoken truth that lies beneath all the outrage, claims of "humiliation", and cries for their "own land." Israel on the other hand has been in a fight for its survival since its founding 70 years ago. Yes, some awful things have been done as various Israeli governments chose different paths but all with the same goal of survival. I hope there are enough Palestinians who are strong enough to face the writing on the wall that Israel is here to stay and accepting less than they desire is the only way to get on with their lives and build their own country. A major roadblock is that the millions of Arabs surrounding Israel have no interest in an actual peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel and for 70 years have done all they could, including killing their own people, to derail it.
11
Thanks, Max, for your honest & accurate portrayal of the situation. Palestinians are 1 handshake away from leading good & meaningful lives. But they prefer the role of victim. What they don’t understand is that with all their bad acts for decades, the world doesn’t buy that role. You’re right - Israel is here to stay. Even the mullas in Iran know that. Palestinians - wake up! Have common sense for a change. Accept reality and move forward for peaceful, productive lives. Your children will thank you for it.
5
Who is Kushner kidding?
Punishment will continue until morale and motivation improves? When has that strategy ever worked for real peace?
All it does is increase resentment and hatred and distrust.
Your naiveté and arrogance - always a charming combination - are shocking, Mr. Kushner. Your toy of the moment is the Middle East. For shame.
19
Kushner should be forced to live in Gaza Strip or the West Bank for a year. Until then, his thoughts on peace in the Middle East are just one more example of how grifters are ruining the world.....
31
Kushner is a waste of space and breath. Why would anyone contemplate listening to his advice as an unpunished crook?
12
Full steam ahead for Israel to end like pre-1990 South Africa.
Great negotiating, Jared !
13
In one of the most diplomatically complicated regions of the world, sending your unqualified son-in-law to negotiate anything demonstrates not only bad faith but a total disregard for the Palestinians.
22
After pushing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, cutting aid to Palestinian groups, closing the UNRWA and overseeing retributive measures that make life difficult for ordinary Palestinians, Jared Kushner said: “Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid.”
Who is he to decide how American taxpayers’ money be spent? It looks as though his mission is to punish Palestinians and let them feel his grip on power and be at his mercy.
62
@J. von Hettlingen President Trump gets to decide how American foreign aid is spent and Jared Kushner is implementing what Trump was elected on.
Origin has nothing to do with validity. Many attack Kushner's lack of credentials and experience, but they don't speak to the concept of false realities that have failed to work for decades.
There is a lot of misinformation. Most comments display more heat than light.
People of good faith can dispute the causes of a failure to achieve peaceful co-existence. As someone once said, the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. I tend to agree.
I read the Koran and the constitution of Hamas and from that perspective I lay the blame at the feet of the Arabs that call themselves Palestinians (as if there existed such a state prior to or since 1948). It's kind of hard to negotiate a peace accord when one side maintains the mindset that the other side must not exist. I am beginning to concur that outright victory by Israel whereby the Pals abandon all hopes of winning is the best option to bring peace to the area.
20
@David Darman A modest proposal: also investigate the history of that portion of the middle East which lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean--not all of the history, of course, just the 1500 years or so predating the Balfour Declaration. Really. Check it out. Get a feel for how the current positions evolved. I ask no more.
1
Give Kushner credit for recognizing that flattery of his wife’s father is a good start in any process. However the Trump Middle East team seems clueless in their search for a solution. No question that unilateral moves to date favoring Israel are welcomed by Israeli leadership. Whether these steps advance the cause of peace between two intractable enemies is an open question.
6
I'm reading the comments on this story, and most seem to depict the Palestinians as helpless victims, unable to determine their own destiny, all prone to nihilistic violence should their demands not be met.
Do you people realize how one-dimensional (bordering on racist) is your view of an entire group of people?
It reminds me of the chicken littles who warned that the Arab world would explode in an apoplectic upheaval of violence and rage once the US announced its decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.
Instead, there was barely a whimper.
Here's a news flash: the Palestinian Arabs are as diverse a community as Americans, Israelis, or another other people. They send their kids to school every day, they have jobs, they buy groceries.
The Palestinian "leadership" is a group of cronies who receive money from the Saudis and enjoy a life of privilege in various spots in Europe, the Levant and the USA. They do not / not represent the interests of those who live in the West Bank.
Meantime, US financial aid to UNRWA, the "PLO" and other groups has merely perpetuated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by removing the incentive for the Palestinians to negotiate.
On this issue, the Trump administration has it right, in my opinion.
Treat the Palestinians like the adults they are, and a new leadership will emerge.
17
@Frank J Haydn
Is it coincidence, or policy, that mostly heated, anti-Israeli remarks find their way into these comments?
Thanks for your intelligent remark. Sadly, most of the commenters do not read much, if anything, on current events regarding Israel and the Palestinians, let alone for 30+ years. They only know to jump when the name Jared pops up, or the name Palestinian comes into focus. So we get reams of name calling and the usual "apartheid" accusations. When Syrians are the topic, you can almost hear these commenters yawn.
4
The only experience Kushner had in human relationship was as a greedy New York landlord evicting tenants from rent control apartments in order to increase the rents. Trump made him in charge of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
23
Kushner obviously only sees an Israeli reality. He does not hear Palestinians point of view. Normally, the broker in a Peace Deal needs to demonstrate some daylight between both sides. Kushner is simply pushing the Israeli position.
12
What Kushner says is irrelevant. What the Palestinian people say is much more relevant. Unfortunately, the majority of the Palestinian people would rather see Israel cease to exist than to have a Palestinian state next to Israel. When the Palestinian people decide they are willing to make the internal compromises necessary to come to the conclusion that they would rather have their own state next to Israel, they will have their own state next to Israel. Those compromises include a recognition that Israel is there to stay, and the desire to live in peace without rule by Hamas and Hezbollah and Fatah.
Remember, it was the Palestinians who rejected Bill Clinton's two-state peace plan. The Palestinians also rejected Olmert's two-state peace plan. The Palestinians turned Gaza into a state run by terrorists which even Egypt (the largest Arab state) rejects and sanctions. The Palestinians can't even hold elections to elect a new President since Abbas' term expired years ago. So the only two-state solution that seems to work for Palestinians are the state of the West Bank and the state of Gaza, one run by the Fatah terrorists and the other run by the Hamas terrorists.
14
@Tony
"Unfortunately, the majority of the Palestinian people would rather see Israel cease to exist than to have a Palestinian state next to Israel. "
I do not believe that this is remotely correct.
5
@Tony
We only know what Palestinians believe based on polls run by Dr. Khalil Shikaki, but even those are likely flawed due to PA control of the media. Privately there is a small percentage of Palestinians who would like to end the impasse and live in their own state, side by side with Israel. They are folks who have Jewish friends, and believe in normalization. IF they let this be known, they risk being imprisoned, or worse. The PA is not a democratic society in the least. And the billions stolen by Arafat, and Abbas/his cronies barely causes objections, even by former Administrations. The "cost" of running "peace" negotiations, they likely thought.
2
This is a classic situation that nepotism laws have been inacted. Jared’s only qualification is he’s married to Ivanka. Jared is probably behind the administrations recent punitive actions against the Palestinians. It’s totally irresponsible for Trump to appoint Jared to such a critical role, it’s equally bad that Jared has accepted the role.
13
Kushner is a fool. Unlike his business dealings, if things go wrong (as they are) in this situation people will die and not just Palestinians. Then again, considering some of the gossip around the deals he and his father-in-law have been engaged in, he just might know this. Where is the empathy? Do their wives believe them when they say they love them? I wouldn't bet on it, eh.
17
Yes, Mr. Kushner, "strip away the false realities" that the United States is an honest broker in the Middle East. Show yourselves for who you really are, unyielding supporters of Israel, no matter how much Palestinian land Israel steals or how many humiliations they can heap upon the native population. Perhaps it's been this way all along, as the US has had little influence on Israel's actions for years. So yes, strip away the false realities, indeed.
11
“Nobody is entitled to America’s foreign aid." . . . unless that "nobody" happens to be Israel.
17
Forget the gall, the hubris, the ignorance, impossible though that may be given Kushner's fractured logic.
No, the worst thing is that Trump's misdeeds are conflated with "the U.S." as in "the U.S. cut funding ..."
No we didn't. The thinskinned administration did.
Vote Nov. 6
9
The beatings will continue until morale improves....that used to serve as a punchline, not national policy.
12
All Jared is doing is defending his father-in-law's ignorance and vindictiveness. It wouldn't matter what Trump does, Jared will say it's brilliant,
19
“There were too many false realities that were created — that people worship — that I think needed to be changed."
Jared Kushner has it right, in my opinion.
The principal false reality is that the Palestinians want a state of their own. Another other false reality is the Palestinian "victimization narrative." Finally, there is the false reality that settlements prejudge a negotiated solution.
All three of these phony, politically-vacuous narratives need to be smashed so that those Palestinians who DO want to coexist with Israel peacefully can be free to emerge from the shadows without fear of assassination.
It might take years, but kudos to Mr. Kushner and the Trump administration for taking the first steps to bringing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back to its proper proportions.
The first step is negotiations without preconditions; this is critical because the only / only way Israel will make any territorial adjustments is with the backing of the Jewish voting public. The latter need to be convinced that Palestinians are not monsters, are not 10 feet tall, and do not seek the destruction of the state.
Note to the Palestinians: the sooner you enter into talks, the sooner your national aspirations will be addressed.
11
Wow. Apartheid is not an obstacle to peace. Ethnic cleansing is no big deal but rather can provide potential building blocks for a "bridge to peace." Both, according to Kushner, are "doing the right thing" which he continues to encourage without fear. Promoting apartheid and ethnic cleansing are acts of courage? One must ask: On what planet does Kushner live? What universe?
37
Yes, every psychologist worth their weight knows that the best way to guarantee cooperation is to smash someone over the head with a big anvil. Hold on, I'm being sarcastic but maybe I oughtn't be: an unconscious body is indeed very easy to control.
This whole thing is just disgusting. My heart goes out to the sentient Palestinians and Israelis who actually do work for peace.
26
Kushner is a born on 3rd base neophyte know-nothing, who shouldn’t be within miles of such an important issue such as an Israeli peace deal. As an Orthodox Jew he likely has zero interest in anything but Israel as a Jewish state. Besides, he’ll capitulate to whatever Netanyahu and Sheldon Adelson want him to do.
33
Kushner seems to believe if you are beating a man to death he will ultimately relent and negotiate for his life. What he doesn't realize because he was born into money and never suffered a day in his life is people who have suffered at the hands of monsters would rather die fighting than live on their knees
39
I would like to see the Times do a comprehensive article on why exactly peace negotiations stalled over the past decade, prior to the Trump administration (which has exacerbated a stalled situation). We all get so caught up in recent events that we forget why, for example, Israel accelerated illegal settlements; why Abbas lost ability to keep support of Hamas; why other Arab countries haven't been more helpful; etc. Supposing that Trump didn't get elected—supposing Palestinians hold on to a status quo during the one Trump administration (god forbid a second one), what exactly needs to happen to actually have a two-state solution?
6
Jared is following faithfully Trump's negotiating model:
Beat your opponent into submission until he is forced to give you everything you want.
This might be a successful tactic on real estate negotiations, I doubt that it works when dealing with people or countries that are proud of their identity and for whom submission is more painful than negligible gains.
Jared does have a valid point as to "false realities", as both sides are sticking to indefensible positions. Although I would say that the settlers are building their own false reality on Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
19
The people of the area and Abraham, Moses and Moh. started this problem thousands of yrs. ago by mixing religion with state otherwise it would be called the land of the semites.
We can thank the founding fathers for starting it and Lincoln for saving it, the separation of church and state. It has prevented the horror story here that is the Middle East.
If Jared thinks a slumlord like him is gonna solve this thousands of yrs. problem, I have a bridge up here I want to sell him.
14
Shameful self-serving puffery from trump's inexperienced son-in-law. If only the Palestinians also had a scamming, scheming, lying father-in-law to help them get ahead in their lives, instead of being forced to fight for each and every remaining bit of humanity against oppressors bent on their eternal domination, then they might be more agreeable to selling their souls and history for the greater good.
31
Crime and punishment runs in Kushner family.
Jared's father set up his Brother-in-law (a witness against Charles Kushner) with a prostitute, taped the tryst, and presented the tape to his Sister, Jared's aunt, at a family gathering. Charlie went to prison for a couple of years.
19
One basic question for the privileged, conceited, yet woefully inexperienced Mr. Kushner: How does any human interaction, be it between individuals, groups, tribes, or nations successfully proceed from one side systematically "punishing" the other to a final status of mutual "trust", the core foundation for any lasting agreement between two parties?
313
@John Grillo
How is the relationship between USA and Japan going these days, John? What about USA and Germany?
Both of these are relics of times where wars were won, though. No one is allowed to win today, it's all about rights, cultures and perspectives.
2
@John Grillo by imposing reality on the side (Palestinian Arabs) that has made unreal illogical demands. By forcing that side to see history as it is ( not accepting partition followed by 5 wars, and a charter that still demands the destruction of Israel.) --by prompting that side to veer from building terrorist tunnels into moving on with life like every other country with a violent past. By forcing the Arabs to come to grips with the fact that Israel left Gaza voluntarily and expected compromise in return.
5
@John Grillo Jared Kushner has years of experience in negotiations and managing large enterprises, experience Hillary Clinton never had when she was made Secretary of State.
The Palestinians are a defeated people, losing all the wars they started. The mistake the US and the UN have made is treating them as if they are on equal footing as Israel. After WWII, while we were magnanimous in victory, we made it clear we would be imposing the conditions on Germany and Japan before they could emerge from occupation. The same attitude is needed with the Palestinians.
3
Any of these quotes could have been delivered by Bibi. Americans need to understand that their Middle East policy is being dictated by Netanyahu's government, utilizing the a callow someone whose only qualification is that he was born rich.
27
Hey even though I support most Trump policies from illegal immigration to anti-Offshoring, he'll and the Kushners will be out of Washington in 2 years. Don't see anything the administration has done for the Palestinians except allow Israel to expand settlements in Palestine. Kushner's peace effort is a joke and can't be taken seriously.
7
It is as likely that Kushner can accomplish a peace deal, as it is that Trump has never committed adultery.
8
What in the world does this person know about the Palestinians other than what Netanyahu whispered over dinner with the Kushner tribe back in the day? JK is an integral part of this merry band of thieves.
27
Yes, humiliating and torturing people who have already been subject to endless humiliation and torture is a sure-fire way to get them to accede to your demands. The false realities that are being revealed here are the idea that the US was ever an honest broker and the idea that Israel ever was a "liberal democracy." Israel is the number one recipient of US foreign aid; that makes the US complicit in everything it does to the Palestinians. The only thing that will work to bring justice to the Palestinians, at this point, is subjecting Israel to targeted sanctions.
264
They have humiliated and tortured themselves. If the Palestinians and Israelis switched land and lives, it would result in the same conditions one sees now. The last millions have apparently not produced anything of value.
4
The hubris of Kushner and his team astounds. They lack the empathy to understand and respect the perspective and pride of people who have been marginalized for generations and are further humiliated by Kushner and company. Any peace "plan" that emerges from this administration is DOA. Everyone knows it, except this ridiculous, tin-pot pretender and his team.
37
We all forgot something. Jared once saw a picture of Arafat in the news. This is Trump's one criterion for becoming an expert in peace talks regarding this region.
14
Jared has no relevant experience in diplomacy. He holds no position in the State Department. Why is his opinion being considered?
387
@Jim A By the way, has he ever actually passed his security clearances? It is hard to recall, amid all the fire and fury of this administration, but I seem to remember that he "forgot" to include significant deeds and dates a number of times. And this man is allowed to meddle in international politics?
@Jim A:He's Jewish and very biased so who can respect his efforts when they seem overtly macho pro Israel and the settlements are expanding at record pace.
3
@Jim A I suppose you have accurately identified the reasons that he has his position. leaving out only the requirement that he will recommend to the President exactly what the President has made clear that he demands to hear.
Ah, another gem from Boy Wonder! This is rich!
51
Sorry, love my American family and friends but your country is being run by incompetent imbeciles. Literally, I am now skipping the news on a regular basis, it's just too depressing to see - and I'm CANADIAN!!! I can't imagine what sane people in America are going through. Kushner? This is what you're going with? Heavens, it's almost criminal negligence on the part of the White House and the State Department. The actions of this White House grow progressively more dangerous each day - forget about America, how about the rest of us? As an aside, Canadians are now having to prepare for a possible punitive tariff on auto exports; perhaps the American people should be aware, I've never seen Canada so politically united against one target - this US administration. It's not just Trump, no one wants to admit just how deep the support for your government is. The governing party is behind your madness - for greed, avarice and sloth. Congrats. In parting, how about this one? Punitive tariff on ALL OIL AND GAS exports to the US. I know eh? Ouch.
78
So much confidence. So little decency. So much to be ashamed of. So little capacity for shame.
127
In my disgust, all but a few words fail me: Effrontery, ignorance, self-righteousness, ineptitude, gall, poseur, fake, hubris, charlatan, lack of compassion, wife and father-in-law. And let's not forget slumlord.
176
I could barely read the story. A New York hustler, with not one shred of diplomatic experience, appointed by the King of New York hustlers, dares to make Mid East policy. That's like me doing open heart surgery.
142
@Spucky50 Mideast policy seems to be a lot harder than open-heart surgery, given that most of the people involved don't have hearts.
2
Jared Kushner appears to have found the answer, but only to the question no American 'till him thought to ask, namely: how can we possibly make create an worse nightmare for those Palestinians who are already suffering the most?
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@Leigh I know! It's as if he thinks that making the Palestinians suffer that they will somehow throw out their leadership and replace it with people who will bow down to America and Israel. The last scene from the Black Panther comes to mind: "Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors who jumped from ships, cause they knew death was better than bondage.”
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@Leigh
Their lives aren't easy, but don't you think that Hamas is mostly responsible for the misery in Gaza? Those living in the West bank are much better off.
Sadly, there are probably millions of Syrians who would trade places with a Gazan in a split second. Very little outpouring of sympathy for them, or scorn for who is responsible for their suffering. Because it doesn't involve Israel, or Jews.
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This policy is simply tripe consistent with the other incompetencies of this vacuous and dangerous administration: it is a circus of amateurs and rigidly regressive ideologues.
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Unless Javanka was in the current role he's in, his thinking on the Palestinian-Israel mess would be irrelevant. Maybe still irrelevant, pater familias decides policy on a whim, either way speaks to irrelevance.
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'Mr. Kushner said President Trump had actually improved the chances for peace...."
In the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davies, 'Well, he would, wouldn't he?'
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Well, one false reality the Trump administration has finally stripped away for better or worse is that the U.S. government was ever going to be a neutral arbitrator to help the two sides seek a global peace settlement to the Israel ongoing occupation of the Palestinian lands from the 1967 War. With the U.S. political landscape as it is, we've been mostly biased since the Reagan came into office. At least, the Palestinian and the rest of the world knows that the U.S. doesn't really stand for any democratic principals, such as justice and peace for all equally, as we tried to do after WW2. Instead, it's all about how we further our national interests or allies, forget about principals and international laws our ancestors helped draft. Seems we've been acting hypocritically the whole time after all. Thanks for clearing that up, Jared.
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@J.D. The biased support the U.S. has always extended to Israel doesn't even "further our national interests," Rather it makes the U.S. and its citizens targets of hate. It helped create bin Laden, thus, fostering the creation of the TSA. Our support of Israel only furthers the careers of politicians who rely on AIPAC money.
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@J.D.
After World War 2 Germany had a choice. It could sign a peace treaty giving 25% of its territory to Poland or it could resist the occupation. Germany chose to sign the peace treaty & has now had more than 70 years of peace & prosperity. The Palestinians had a similar choice. They could have accepted the Clinton Parameters giving up 3% of their territory or they could resist the occupation. Palestinians chose to resist & have had many years of war & poverty. Who made the better choice?
1
his experience as a "deal maker." What a joke - he's a slum lord.
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@Samantha S
I disagree. It's "slumlord." One word.
And slumlords are deal-makers: "My way or the highway."
What in the world does Kushner know about the Middle East and peace? Considering his religious and ideological background, I'd be extremely wary of his ideas and claims regarding Palestinians. If you don't want to antagonize the very people you need to bring to the 'peace' table and ask them for concessions, you don't move the US embassy to Jerusalem, cut aid to Palestinian hospitals or strip funds from UN care of their refugees. And you don't endorse and praise a government that permits Jewish settlements to expand on Arab lands and in its newly passed Nationality Law deny full citizenship to Arab-Israelis. Kushner's views, like his father-in-law, are not only unrealistic and one-sided, they will inflame tensions in the Middle East and create more divisions between Palestinians and Israelis.
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I'm sure Kushner would love anyone who would happily strip the clothed from his children's backs and the food from their mouths and through him into the street so they could take his land. Who doesn't think that the world needs more persecuting of the poor and displaced?
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In History, every dog has their day. Wait for it....
5
Waiting, because Karma, right?
Mr. Kushner forgot to mention the "false reality" of the Palestinians controlling the West Bank.
Are you surprised the Palestinians don't trust our President's observant Jewish negotiator to do what's best for them?
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Viewing the "Oslo Diaries," brought the tedious, frustrating, and very difficult negotiations to a very real start for peace. There were Palestinians, including Arafat, Israelis, including Shimon Peres, and Rabin. These talks were in secret until at last they were agreed upon.
Of course, there were Palestinians who would never agree with making peace, as were Israeli extremists. However, once it was signed, there was jubilation on all fronts. Yes, there was deadly violence that occurred shortly thereafter, but the hope of working for peace was very real.
Netanyahu gave virulent speeches against this peace accord, and in many minds fomented violence and anger. Netanyahu's rigid hard handed rule has, in many minds, made it impossible for any compromise. He and Trump have linked arms.
Someday, perhaps they will be leaders from the PLO and Israel who will, as Peres said in effect, at the time of the negotiations, what is past is past, now we must move forward. Someday.
11
Whilst Israel is rewarded by the administration with recognition of Jerusalem as the nation's capital and a warning to any nation that hostile actions will be taken against any that thinks , considers or makes a case for Israel to be investigated by the ICC. America has also in defence of Israel already taken direct actions against Palestinians for their decision to ask that Israel be investigated by the ICC for purported abuses allegedly committed.
All these American actions protecting, defending and recognising and helping Israel have been done for nothing more it seems than just Israel being Israel.
However the Palestinians are punished by losing hospital care, aid budgets, education funding, and having it's mission in Washington closed by order *( * for intent to refer Israel to the ICC for investigation) for simply not willingly or agreeing to come to the peace table that Israel says is open but does not actually exist , nor contain any actual proposals or offerings that Palestinians want to discuss and Israel won't.
Why is it incumbent on the Palestinians to make the move to talks and provide taking points that Israel wants to hear whilst Israel (the occupying and controlling power over all Palestinians) is permitted to do nothing and make no attempts whatsoever to kickstart any talks and as it does nothing , continue to build settlements, control life and impose control on all Palestinians who are the ones who must initiate talks.
There's no bias here?
SO UNFAIR.
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@Loomy Good for you, mate.
1
The punishing of INNOCENT Palestinians in need may not hurt (nor with it advance )the elusive "peace" deal. However, the sociopathic and Trump like steps taken by the US by cutting off aide will enhance the Kushner family relationship with ultra-right Wing Israeli politicians and their financial benefactors both in Israel and in the US .
And thus our ethically compromised foreign policy proceeds. Add that to the list of damage the Trump Presidency has wrought on our democracy.
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The "false reality" of a hope for justice. Certainly not with any help from the US under bully and would-be dictator Trump.
11
Mr Kushner showed us his deal-making prowess at 666 Fifth Avenue.
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I hate to say it but Kushner is correct. The US and Europe have tried coddling the Palestinians, supporting their people with annual amounts per capita that are almost double what the average Egyptian earns (although in truth, much of that money is stolen by the leadership) and holding out a vain hope that somehow history would be reversed and we would go back to 1948. That is simply not going to happen. The Palestinians have been several times been offered the best deal that any Israel PM could ever give them only to reject that deal. Its time that they pay an ongoing penalty for recalcitrance. Sometimes one has to be cruel to be kind and this is just such a time.
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@bartleby
No brit has any standing to have opinions about Israel and Palestinian affairs after having a hand in creating the disaster...
15
How about removing the "false reality" of the Israeli military? Take away all the US subsidy for the purchase of arms in the entire region and see if that brings about more fervent peace negotiations.
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Jared Kushner's familial ties to far right Israeli politics show that he never should have been a Middle East peace arbiter. Kushner is far too biased towards Netanyahu and Likud ideology.
It is also laughable for him to justify the astonishingly punitive move of stopping Unrwa funding because he finds Palestinian leaders insufficiently praising of American policy. Did Jared miss how obnoxiously dismissive Bibi was towards President Obama personally and towards longstanding US policy about settlements and a two-state solution? Did the Israelis lose money and other support because of the attitude?
The reality is that Kushner simply wants to be wantonly cruel towards Palestinians.
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@NM Being an arbiter has gotten us nowhere. The Palestinians are a defeated people and need to be treated as such. Backed by the US, Israel as victor will impose a settlement.
1
Mr Kushner's comments and strategy for a Mid-East peace stem from ignorance of human nature. So he thinks taking away the ability of children to play soccer will bring us closer to peace?
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@Deborah Brown
Your comment is nonsensical.
US financial support for the Palestinians perpetuates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
1
Heartless oppression of the poor. Shameless, another reason to vote out Trump and his minions.
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A comment for this ?? No Is just an insult to the Palestinians to the Jewish people who are fighting for peace;Who is Kushner a part for being the son in law of Trump, of being jewish, a businessman lucky to be born with a silver spoon, all this is enough to negotiate the future of the middle east??What does he knows about the culture the history of Palestine, not through a partisan side?. Being hand and hand with Netanyahu with only one goal a "grand Israel" is a recipe for disaster for Israël and Palestine .Meantimes slowly but .surely Israël is taking the land from the palestinian, as Lieberman said "les arabes à la mer" i'm for and with the Isra¨élies who are fighting for a peace, they should have more coverage from the medias. peace
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It's not an issue the US can solve. False realities? The Jewish population cannot even decide if they want to pursue a one state or two state solution. The Palestinian do not have a representative group that has the power to make a deal stick among its own people. Until both groups go back and work out their own issues, there isn't even a reason to have talks of any kind.
5
The US will never be a neutral arbiter to Israel and PLO negotiations because Israel is our staunch ally. They provide a security service for the US given the tough neighborhood they argue. The PLO has nothing to offer the US. that's just a fundamental reality. They are not strong, they are not influential in their neighborhood, they are basically a ward of the state of Israel. If they want to agitate, then they know what will happen. Israel has pretty much walled them all off anyway. When Abbas exits the scene, Hamas will likely take over anyway since the PLO has lost its credibility with it's own people. Once that happens, Israel will then finally seal it all off. Moral of the story, if a force much bigger than you has you in a stranglehold, you either comply, or fight on despite a losing position. If they struggle though, they should fully expect the stranglehold to tighten. That's why it's good to cooperate with a much bigger neighbor if they have you in a stranglehold.
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@No big deal
You seem to be such a nice person....and your approach would create more terrorism, for sure.
4
@No big deal
By your reasoning, the slaves in the U.S. should never have fought for their freedom, African Americans should never have fought through the Civil Rights Movement, the American colonies should have just submitted to King George III, David should never have taken on Goliath.
Justice and equality aren't simply given to any one. Sadly, it appears that within social groups, humans aren't capable of sharing without the rule of law.
It saddens me that the Jewish state, comprised of a people who have suffered so greatly, more than once in fact, at the hands of others, has no problem turning around and doing the same.
But your suggestion that people should just live with subjugation, injustice and equality is simply silly. And in fact, history is rife with examples of exactly why. You should look into that.
10
Indeed, Kushner and Trump have given Palestinians nothing to lose. They have absolutely no incentive to participate in any peace process brokered by America. They have no hope of being treated fairly by Israel no matter who tries to intercede for them.
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@Honey
‘son's death was "best day of my life," says Palestinian mother’
How can a mother who loves her son say that his death was the "best day of my life?" The explanation is that she believes that her son's becoming a martyr by dying while attacking Jews gives him instant access to Paradise & eternal happiness. People who believe as she does don't want peace. They want conflict because conflict provides an opportunity for martyrdom.
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@Honey
In 1947, the scholars at Al-Azhar University (The highest authority in Sunni Islam.) declared holy war to return Palestine to Islamic rule. Therefore, as long as most Palestinians are devout Muslims (85% of Palestinian Muslims want sharia law.) and as long as the Jewish State controls even one square inch of land, peace is impossible.
1
@Honey
Agreed. Carrots work better than sticks. Building relationships not destroying them, allows space for people to develop and build confidence with negotiating partners. Prior to hard discussions about that the give and take that are needed by all sides to get to a final settlement.
Trump and the little prince have so blatantly taken sides already that the Palestinians will refuse to recognize them as honest brokers in negotiations. It seems US is determined to give others (hello Russia or China) a central role. How Not to Make America Great Again.
Punishment as both liberation and inducement - something for which the Palestinians will thank us. The thinking of this administration - and the Netanyahu hardliners in Israel - continues to boggle the mind. They are treating the Palestinians as people who they can beat, starve, and humiliate into accepting whatever scraps of "peace" they deign to toss their way. Once again, no good faith from Trump or his minion, Kushner.
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@pogopaws In many ways the State of Israel has conducted itself much like those states that once sought to eradicate or purge the Jewish people from their borders. It is sad that the persecuted has become the persecutors.
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@KEOB Too true. So much ingrained fear. I keep hoping a new, more enlightened generation will rise up over there and start acting with hope, not fear
.
Mr. Kushner appears to believe that punishing Palestinians will help to bring peace. He also appears to believe that providing financial support for Israeli settlements in the occupied territories - which he has done - will help to bring peace. Whatever Mr. Kushner does not agree with can be jumbled together with other "false realities." As someone who worked for decades as a U.S. diplomat in the Middle East, I believe Mr. Kushner's views are totally unrealistic.
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The settlements are a non issue as the vast majority of of them are in lands that will remain part of Israel in any peace deal. Indeed the deal the Israeli PM Olmert offered the Palestinians in 2008 called for land swaps so that the Palestinians would get land the same area as the West Bank (rejected by the Palestinians as usual). If it is true that you are someone who worked for decades as a diplomat in the middle east, it seems to me that your approach has been tried over and over again and has utterly failed. Why should the American public keep underwriting your failure and not try a new path?
3
Trump has shred any illusions that the US is a neutral arbitrator between the Palestinians and the Israelis. That should have became apparent the moment he put his son-in-law in charge of the so called peace process. Israel is only interested in taking a piece by piece process.
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The Palestinians have been punished for 70 years since 750,00 were expelled from their homes in 1948 and not allowed to return. Israel has demolished more than 500 villages. As Ariel Sharon said in 1973,
"We'll insert a strip of Jewish settlements in between the Palestinians and then another strip ofJewish settlements right across the West Bank, so that in 25 years time, neither the United nations nor the United States, nobody, will be able to tear it apart. "
Taking away access to medical care for cancer patients in the West Bank, not allowing food deliveries into Gaza, bombing the water and sewage treatment plants in Gaza, making it a crime in the US to advocate for human rights for Palestinians, what more can the US do to make life impossible for Palestinians? Im sure Jared Kushner will think of something.
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The Figure is actually more like 400,000 and interesting that the Arab world kept the Palestinians refugees for 70 years. and made sure they they keep suffering. Arab countries expelled 600,000 Jews from their lands in 1948 and Israel settled every single one as citizens. This tells you everything about Arab leadership and their goals - not one of which is actually helping the Palestinians which is just shameful.
14
What qualifies this slumlord as an expert on Mideast peace?
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@Kathy McAdam Hahn
What qualifies this slumlord as an expert on Mideast peace?
Being a slumlord, and treating the Palestinians like people living in slums!
25
@Kathy McAdam Hahn His experience as a dealmaker it said. Sounds like trump. Kushner's & family ties are now under investigation. Palestine has not even seen the peace deal but Israel is having all sorts of input. That is how trump & co does business. Starve & abuse one side until they give in or die. Yep! Great deal for Israel only.
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@Kathy McAdam Hahn The fact that he's Jewish.
And who is Kushner to be making such commentary? That's what ought to be the topic under discussion.
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Why was my initial reaction to this that I don't really care what Jared Kushner thinks or says?
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Jared Kushner is the number one false reality here.
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@kris Don't we wish he was actually a false reality! We wouldn't have to hear his nonsensical eructations.
10
Speaking of, "false realities."
39