Jared Kushner is qualified to broker a Middle East peace deal because he was given 'a lot of responsibility' as a child, father claims

Charles Kushner claims the responsibilities Jared Kushner had as a child have prepared him to tackle Middle East peace.
(Image credit: Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images)

If Jared Kushner can't broker peace in the Middle East, then "no one can," President Trump has declared, although so far that hasn't gone as smoothly as everyone hoped. "The entire Middle East, from Palestine to Yemen, appears set to burst into flames after this week," The Guardian's Moustafa Bayoumi wrote in December, blaming Kushner for "wreaking havoc" in the region. The president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, has refused to talk to Kushner, with the foreign minister asking: "What is the use of holding any meetings with them when they close our office?" Even Israel has insisted that Kushner is doomed to failure unless he can get Saudi Arabia on board, Newsweek reports.

See more

At least one person isn't sweating it: Kushner's dad, Charles Kushner. The elder Kushner told The Washington Post that his son is perfectly capable of handling everything on his plate because "we didn't raise our children as typical children."

"They were taught if you have wealth, it is not something to be spoiled about, it is a lot of responsibility, which requires you to do more, better than if you didn't have the money," Charles Kushner went on. "So my children, they are more mature than their years and they were raised that way." Spoken like a proud father, he added: "I see my son taking up the Middle East, the impact on the world could be dramatic."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Reassured? Read the full interview at The Washington Post.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.