Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former US president Donald Trump, has discussed US-Saudi diplomatic negotiations involving Israel with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman multiple times since leaving the Trump White House, said a source familiar with the discussions.
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The source did not identify when the talks took place and whether they occurred before or after the start of the Gaza conflict. But they included discussions on the process of normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key diplomatic objective of both the Biden and Trump administrations, the source said.
Kushner, 43, has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which congressional investigators say has invested US$2 billion in his private equity fund, Affinity Partners, which Kushner set up after leaving the White House.
The news that Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader discussed a peace accord that US President Joe Biden also has tried to broker illustrates the importance both Republicans and Democrats place on the increasingly unstable Middle East amid a razor-close presidential election. The talks also signal how Trump might manage the crisis in the region if voters return him to power – and renew questions about whether Kushner’s financial ties with Riyadh could influence US policy under his father-in-law.
Saudi Arabia’s investments in Kushner’s fund have been criticised by ethics experts, Democrats in Congress and even some Republicans, who have expressed concern that Saudi Arabia’s stake can look like a payoff since Kushner worked on Saudi issues before leaving Trump’s White House.
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