As the Iran War enters its ninth week, diplomatic efforts continue in hope of finding a formula at least marginally acceptable to the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Proposals and counterproposals are exchanged alongside threats and insults. The possibility of a return to full-scale fighting remains real. However, given that escalation is unlikely to achieve objectives that eluded the first six weeks of combat, it may therefore be useful to step back and examine how the Middle East was being reconfigured before the U.S. and Israel launched a joint preemptive strike against Iran on February 28th.

The old security architecture — built on American military dominance, Israeli deterrence, Gulf hedging, and Iranian proxy warfare — was no longer providing stability. A new structure was emerging, but its final shape remained uncertain. It might have produced an era of unprecedented regional integration, economic modernization, and diplomatic normalization. Instead, it collapsed into a dangerous conflict that has put the global economy at severe risk.

Who Designed the New Middle East?

To understand how the so-called New Middle East transformation got derailed — and whether it can get back on track — requires asking a deceptively simple question: who actually designed it?

Many observers offer familiar answers. Some point to Donald Trump, whose administration brokered the Abraham Accords, reshaped U.S. policy toward Iran, and reoriented regional alignments. Others point to Benjamin Netanyahu, whose long-standing strategic vision — normalization with the Gulf, containment of Iran, marginalization of the Palestinian issue — appeared ascendant, though it is now increasingly contested.

But there is a third hypothesis, one that has become more difficult to dismiss. Across diplomacy, capital flows, reconstruction planning, and regional alignment, one figure appears repeatedly: Jared Kushner. Whether he is a strategist in his own right or the product of deeper structural forces remains an open question. But his role is neither incidental nor easily replaced.

The first pillar is Kushner’s grounding in a tightly networked ecosystem of American Jewish philanthropy and Modern Orthodox communal life. For decades, the Kushner family has been embedded in institutions linking donors, religious organizations, and Israeli political and social actors. This environment is primarily relational rather than ideological — providing access, trust, and continuity........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)