The classic 17th-century buccaneer was not a simple pirate; he was a hybrid figure who operated in the grey area between state-sanctioned privateering and outright piracy. He used his connections with powerful governments to secure a “Letter of Marque” that legitimised his plunder, all the while lining his pockets. This government-issued license authorised privateers to attack and capture vessels of a rival nation, distinguishing legal privateering from piracy.  Financial incentives also meant that privateers kept a large portion of the seized goods as compensation for their efforts, with portions going to the government that issued the commission. This form of state-sanctioned warfare, which blurred the lines between privateering and piracy was abolished internationally in 1856. And now it is back, dressed in a corporate suit and incarnated by Jared Kushner et al.

Just as the ancient buccaneer hid behind the flag of a nation to plunder, so Kushner and his ilk hide behind the flags of diplomacy and “economic development” to do the same. In recent years, Kushner, the deal-maker son-in-law of the American president, has made an entrance into the world of diplomacy and neo-colonial administration by actively meddling in Palestine and Middle Eastern politics. 

As his father-in-law’s chief advisor, Kushner oversaw Trump’s ludicrously monikered “Deal of the Century,” announced in January 2020 and then followed by the so-called “Abraham Accords” in September 2020, which bypassed the central issues of the Palestinian-Israeli ‘conflict’. In an early interview during Trump’s first administration, Kushner explained his qualifications in this area: he had been “studying [the Middle East] now for three years:  I’ve read 25 books on it, I’ve spoken to every leader in the region, I’ve spoken to everyone who’s been involved in this.” In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (14 March, 2021) Kushner characterised the Arab-Israeli ‘conflict’ as a “real-estate dispute”. The limitations of his understanding of the........

© Middle East Monitor