A new book of memoirs revealed “rare” details regarding the political and friendly rapprochement between Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which deepened following Trump and his team left the White House, according to what the newspaper reported.The Wall Street Journal“.
In a report on Kushner’s memoirs to be released soon, the newspaper reports that the first months of the Trump administration saw Jared Kushner making an urgent call with Mohammed bin Salman, to help ensure the success of the president’s first foreign trip to the kingdom.
Kushner, a top White House adviser, was almost alone in urging his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, to visit.
The report quotes the memoirs as saying that Kushner told bin Salman, “Everyone here tells me I’m a fool for trusting you,” and adds, “They say the visit is a terrible idea.”
According to the report, Prince Mohammed laughed and assured Kushner that the trip would reap huge benefits for Trump, the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Prince Salman and the Saudi rulers gave Trump a grand welcome in May 2017, with a sword dance, a $350 billion arms deal, and awarding Trump the country’s highest civilian medal to strengthen ties between the two countries.
The call, detailed in Kushner’s upcoming memoir, offers a rare glimpse into the unusual relationship between the two men, which has evolved from an amicable political alliance to a deep business partnership following Trump left the White House that drew scrutiny from congressional investigators.
The 500-page book, parts of which have been seen by The Wall Street Journal, includes new details regarding how Kushner built relationships with Prince Mohammed.
Kushner’s memoirs detail how he sided with the Saudi crown prince following being accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and Kushner’s rift with other Trump administration officials who accused him of being too “warm” with the Saudi ruler, taking advantage of the relationship to establish new relations between Israel and the Arab world.
Kushner’s close ties with Mohammed bin Salman have proven to be one of the most fruitful and polarizing relationships for the Trump White House, according to the report.
Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Kushner of marginalizing him and managing foreign policy from his West Wing office. Human rights groups have accused Kushner of downplaying Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s brutal crackdown on critics and his military campaign once morest the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen so that the United States can secure lucrative military sales to Saudi Arabia.
“Wall Street” says that congressional investigators now want to know whether Kushner’s decisions in the White House helped him secure a $2 billion investment made by the Saudi crown prince to start Kushner’s investment company following leaving the White House.
In Breaking History: A White House Memoir, due out August 23, Kushner offers a carefully framed defense of his relationship with Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Kushner says he views Prince Mohammed as a historical figure who brought unimaginable social reforms to Saudi Arabia and steered the kingdom toward a warm relationship with Israel.
Even when bin Salman was accused of sending a team to kill journalist Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Kushner accepted the Saudi leader’s claim that he was not personally involved, according to the newspaper’s upcoming memoirs.
Khashoggi was writing articles critical of the prince’s performance in the US newspaper, The Washington Post. American reports concluded that bin Salman had ordered his killing, and this entailed attempts to isolate him on the international scene, despite Saudi Arabia repeatedly denying his involvement in the operation.
It is noteworthy that President Donald Trump, who chose the Kingdom in 2017 as his first foreign destination following taking office, was very welcomed in Riyadh, and Saudi leaders, according to Bruce Riedel, author of “Kings and Presidents”, remained “close” to prominent figures in the Trump era, especially His son-in-law Jared Kushner.
