Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump and an informal negotiator regarding the conflict in Gaza, holds a significant stake in an Israeli firm linked to the defense industry, as revealed by a CNN investigative report. Experts suggest this could lead to potential conflicts of interest.
Kushner’s investment group, Affinity Partners, has the largest share in Phoenix Financial, an Israeli company based in Tel Aviv. This stake was doubled last year, just before Trump returned to the presidency. Phoenix Financial has investments in companies that provide equipment to the Israeli military while Kushner served as an informal advisor to the White House during negotiations related to the Gaza conflict.
Kushner’s Firm Invests in Defense Industry
Using Israeli financial transparency laws, CNN journalists traced documents from Phoenix Financial, which show that the firm has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Additionally, Phoenix holds shares in at least eight other companies supplying the Israeli military with drones and naval vessels.
All nine companies reported stock price increases last year, with many citing the Gaza conflict as a catalyst for growth. Kushner reportedly referred to Phoenix as the “best investment” of Affinity Partners.
Kushner was a pivotal negotiator for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas established last October. While his diplomatic role theoretically does not conflict with his business dealings, critics point out that his firm’s earnings from Phoenix raise ethical concerns.
Cynthia Brown, a chief ethics advisor at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, noted, “There are always people who profit from war or government policy. The difference is that those profiting should not be making decisions about that policy. And that’s what’s happening here.”
Kushner’s lawyer claims that Kushner “never participated in or directed Phoenix’s investment decisions,” stating that any suggestion of a connection between Kushner’s diplomatic work and the firm’s investments is untrue. Anna Kelly, principal deputy press secretary at the White House, emphasized that Kushner’s private business actions are unrelated to his volunteer diplomatic commitments at the request of the president.
