Thirty minutes into his Saban Forum talk, Kushner as Sphinx-like as ever.
Kushner didn’t reveal even a particle of the developing deal not a sliver of information revealing the slightest idea as to what direction they’ll be taking. This mind you is close to a full year after Trump has been in office (Photo: Ralph Alswang Saban Forum)
L ast Friday I smugly texted one of the organizers of the Saban Forum: “lmk when Jared Kushner cancels.” Earlier that day former national security advisor Michael Flynn had entered a guilty plea to one charge of lying to federal investigators a charge that could also incriminate Kushner who was set to appear onstage at the forum just 48 hours later.
Sunday afternoon a moment before Kushner appeared on the stage as I found a seat among government ministers Knesset members senior think tank intellectuals and others I received the following text back: “Did u bring ur hat to eat?”
Generalizations are usually a no-no in journalism but it’s fair to say that the entire diplomatic corps in Washington and Jerusalem not to mention journalists and politicians were eagerly awaiting this dialogue with the president’s son-in-law. It was a rare public appearance for the man charged with sensitive foreign policy negotiations. Even more significant was the timing; Kushner’s appearance took place immediately after Flynn’s guilty charge and interrogation and shortly before the president’s fraught decision on the US embassy in Israel. If the stakes weren’t high enough add the juicy fact that Haim Saban the forum’s founder and emcee is one of Hillary Clinton’s chief supporters.
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