October 2026

2.5 Jared Kushner and Chabad

[V-s][V][R]Open page 7 in the dossier

Ties: the Kushner family foundation gave about $342K to Chabad causes (Forward) [V-s]. Trump visited the Rebbe's Ohel in Queens on 7 Oct 2024 (the anniversary of Oct 7), with Ben Shapiro and the family of hostage Edan Alexander. Former ambassador David Friedman organised it (JTA, AP photos, Ynet) [V].
Gaza:
- The "Riviera" proposal echoed Kushner's 2024 waterfront remarks (Reuters) [V-s].
- Kushner and Witkoff met Hamas directly to seal the Oct 2025 ceasefire (Axios, Guardian) [V].
- Both later sat on the executive board of the "Board of Peace," which governs Gaza's transition (Jan 2026) [V-s].
Affinity Partners: per minutes of the panel's 30 June 2021 meeting, all four PIF panel members present said they were "not in favor of Project Astro." They cited "the inexperience of the Affinity Fund management," due diligence "unsatisfactory in all aspects," and "public relations risks." Within days the board led by MBS approved the deal. Mnuchin's fund got $1B on cheaper terms (NYT full text) [V]. In short, PIF's investment panel objected to the $2B (inexperience, fees, PR risk), and the board chaired by MBS overruled it (NYT). The Senate Finance chair later probed the payments (letter) [V].
The Rebbe's messianism: Schneerson (d. 1994) taught that redemption was imminent, and part of the movement held that he was the Messiah. Scholarship: Berger (2001), Heilman & Friedman (The Rebbe, Princeton 2010) [R].
Doesn't show: messianic motive in Kushner's dealmaking. The documented drivers are Gulf capital, real estate and normalization. Chabad has no mechanism to direct US policy.