Jared Kushner's luxury-focused 'master plan' in Gaza a pipe dream: analysis

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and informal advisor, unveiled a "master plan" for the Gaza region focused on tourism and luxury developments, but according to an analysis of the details from The New Republic, the plan is likely to remain a "pipe dream."

Kushner made his presentation about the future of Gaza during a Thursday address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It comes amid Trump's push for his "Board of Peace" initiative, which calls for an international alliance of countries focused on promoting global peace and stability, with an entry fee of $1 billion per member nation.

The idea began as a plan to manage the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel's war with Hamas, but has since seen its scope expanded, with Trump boasting that it could replace the United Nations, an idea stymied by major nations like France and other European powers refusing an invitation to join. Critics have further decried the board as an effort by Trump to further meddle in global politics and to bilk other countries for more money.

“People ask us what our Plan B is, we do not have a plan B. We have a plan, we signed an agreement, we are committed to making that agreement work,” Kushner explained in his address. “There’s a master plan. We’ll be doing it in phasing. In the Middle East, they build cities like this, in, uh, you know, two, three million people. They build this in three years. And so stuff like this is very doable if we make it happen.”

As The New Republic explained, Kushner's plan for Gaza echoes his father-in-law's past suggestion for Gaza, with a focus on developments for tourism, including luxury hotels, a new airport and a new seaport. Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed onto the Board of Peace plan, "with reservations," the outlet noted that Israel's history of blocking developments in Gaza might serve as a major impediment to Kushner's master plan, as does the country's continued attacks in the region.

"That seems to clash with existing realities, such as Israel having blocked such developments for the last two decades," the analysis explained. "Gaza didn’t have an airport even before the genocide, as Israel bombed the only airport in 2006. And despite a ceasefire passed last year, Israel has killed at least 400 Palestinians in Gaza since then and its bombing campaigns continue."

So far, only 20 out of the 60 countries invited to the Board of Peace have agreed to join, including Trump-friendly countries known for far-right governments and human rights abuses, including Argentina, Hungary, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

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