Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, claimed Sunday that Saudi Arabia is safer for American Jews than American school campuses, amid tense talks and protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On October 7, Hamas carried out the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history, and Israel then launched its most intense airstrikes in Gaza in response. On Sunday, more than 1,400 people were killed in Israel, the Associated Press reported. 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was “at war” and had cut off supplies of food, fuel, electricity and medicine to Gaza. Israel has allowed some aid to enter Gaza through Egypt. Netanyahu’s government has called up 360,000 army reservists as it prepares for a very likely ground offensive in the territory, which has an estimated population of around 2. 3 million.
The escalation of the confrontation has led to an intense public debate about what aspect to take between Israel and Gaza, and to what extent for Israeli and Palestinian civilians caught up in the confrontation constitutes for the movements of the Israeli government and Hamas. in Israel itself, they have called for a ceasefire in Gaza in the face of intense military attacks on the territory.
Part of this ongoing discourse has been marked by a series of protests and pro-Palestinian statements by academics and student teams at schools and universities across the United States, in addition to Columbia and Harvard. Some of those academics and teams have been accused of overreaching. supporting Hamas’ actions.
On Sunday, Kushner, a businessman and husband of Ivanka Trump, appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures to talk about the situation. During his father-in-law’s tenure in the White House, Kushner served as an adviser on the Middle East. He has problems with the Middle East and has an ongoing relationship with the Saudi government that has drawn scrutiny. During the interview, Kushner claimed that he believed Jews would be safer in Saudi Arabia than on school campuses.
“Yes, it was a very attractive time to be there, and I’ve been there a number of times before,” Kushner said after a recent visit to the country. “One of the ironies is that, as an American Jew, you’re safer in Saudi Arabia than on a school campus like Columbia University. “
Six months after leaving the White House in 2021, Kushner’s investment company earned $2 billion from a fund controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Years later, the company had not invested with those funds, leading to renewed scrutiny over the relationship between the two parties. Kushner has been accused through some, without concrete evidence, of promoting U. S. secrets to the Saudi government. The kingdom, in turn, has been accused of trying to use Kushner to curry favor with Trump, if he is re-elected in 2024. .
Kushner himself has denied all such allegations of wrongdoing in his relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Newsweek at JVP Action for comment.
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter founded in upstate New York. Its goal is to report on crime and national politics. In the past, he has also focused on topics such as business, technology, and popular culture. Thomas joined Newsweek in 2021 and previously worked at the International Business Times. He is a graduate of the University at Albany. Thomas can be reached by emailing t. kika@newsweek. com. Languages: English.