- Kushner described Gaza’s devastation as nuclear-like.
- Kushner and Steve Witkoff denied the destruction constitutes genocide.
- International bodies accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza.
- Kushner’s business ties to the region raise conflict of interest concerns.
- The humanitarian crisis includes mass casualties and widespread famine.
In a stunning 60 Minutes interview that aired recently, Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East adviser, described the Gaza Strip as looking like “a nuclear bomb had been set off.” This assessment came after he toured the region, witnessing displaced residents returning to pitch tents on the ruins of their former homes. Despite acknowledging the profound devastation, Kushner and his colleague Steve Witkoff firmly denied that the destruction constituted genocide, with Witkoff asserting, “Absolutely not, no. There was a war being fought.”
The comments have ignited fresh controversy as they stand in direct opposition to findings from major international bodies. The United Nations and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. South Africa has also brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, charging it with carrying out genocide against Palestinians.
A landscape of ruin
Kushner’s firsthand account paints a dire picture. He described a landscape of complete ruin, stating, “It looked almost like a nuclear bomb had been set off in that area.” He expressed sadness at seeing people with “nowhere else to go” returning to their destroyed plots to erect tents. This visual stands in stark contrast to his legal and moral conclusion. When pressed by interviewer Lesley Stahl on whether the scene constituted genocide, Kushner was unequivocal: “No, no.”
This perspective is not shared by the international experts who make it their life’s work to study such atrocities. The world’s leading association of genocide scholars has passed a resolution stating that Israel’s conduct, including widespread attacks on healthcare, aid, and educational sectors, meets the UN’s definition of genocide. Their report notes the killing and injuring of tens of thousands of children and the near-total demolition of housing, actions they say are intended to destroy the Palestinian group in part.
Business and blurred lines
Further scrutiny was aimed at Kushner and Witkoff’s extensive business dealings in the Gulf states, which have raised persistent questions about conflicts of interest. Stahl pointed to the “blurring of a line” between their foreign policy roles and their financial benefits. Kushner dismissed these concerns, framing their connections as an asset. “What people call conflicts of interests, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world,” he said.
He argued that these very relationships were instrumental in negotiating a hostage release, claiming, “If Steve and I didn’t have these deep relationships, the deal that we were able to help get done, that freed these hostages, would not have occurred.” This defense does little to quell concerns that their private business interests are inextricably linked to their public diplomatic missions, potentially influencing their portrayal of a conflict that has drawn global condemnation.
The situation on the ground, as reported by international observers, tells a story far grimmer than the “war” narrative Kushner and Witkoff presented. With more than 67,000 Palestinians reported killed and famine confirmed by UN-backed monitors, the humanitarian crisis is catastrophic. The destruction of more than 80 percent of schools and universities represents an assault on the very future of Palestinian society.
By dismissing the term genocide while describing a scene of utter annihilation, Kushner appears to be engaging in a political and semantic cover-up. This effort to whitewash the realities in Gaza protects not only the political interests of the Israeli government but also the business interests of those, like Kushner, who have built financial empires through their connections in the region. The chasm between his description of the devastation and his refusal to name it genocide reveals a profound disconnect from the assessments of human rights organizations and legal experts worldwide.
Sources for this article include:
InformationLiberation.com
Axios.com
TheHill.com
BBC.com
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