Despite no longer having an official role in the White House during his father-in-law’s second administration, Jared Kushner is increasingly becoming more entrenched in his ties to the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, as he helps aid peace talks to end Israel’s war in Gaza.
Kushner is reportedly participating in discussions with President Donald Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to work toward the finalization of a peace agreement. Trump is meeting with Netanyahu at the White House on Monday to possibly seal the deal.
Kushner’s behind-the-scenes influence in the Middle East peace deal reflects his advisory role in the first Trump administration, in which he served as the primary architect of the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states. Saudi Arabia, which was not included in the initial treaties, said it won’t normalize diplomatic relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state is formed, a topic of debate during the United Nations General Assembly‘s 80th session last week.
Since the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, Kushner has expanded his business portfolio in partnership with Saudi Arabia.
Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund following his time in the White House. The deal has been subject to scrutiny by congressional Democrats, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee when it launched an investigation into Kushner’s firm last year.
The investigation compelled Wyden and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), in his capacity as then-ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, to call for a special counsel investigation into Kushner for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
There is no active special counsel investigation into Kushner following Trump’s election victory last fall.
The partnership between Affinity Partners and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund made headlines again when the two, along with another investor, moved to acquire videogame developer Electronic Arts for $55 billion on Monday in the largest acquisition ever funded by private equity firms.
The acquisition follows years of Kushner developing a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Last year, Kushner defended his Saudi ties and stood by the crown prince despite the foreign leader’s involvement in ordering the 2018 murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. While an intelligence assessment confirmed Salman’s involvement, Kushner remained loyal to his friend.
“I know the person who I dealt with. I think he’s a visionary leader. I think what he’s done in that region is transformational,” Kushner said at the time.
“I think he’s done a lot of things that are in America’s interest. And I think he’s done a lot of things that have made the world a better place. So I think I stand by all the policies that we put forward at the time,” he added.
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Currently, Kushner is taking a step back from the public spotlight to spend more time with his wife, Ivanka Trump, and their three children. The married couple previously served advisory roles in the White House during the president’s first term.
However, Kushner has remained open to advising his father-in-law, as evidenced by his involvement in the Gaza peace deal.
