Kushner Fails to Move Netanyahu on Gaza Deal
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- Jared Kushner visited Israel Monday to discuss Trump's Gaza peace plan, which Netanyahu rejected last week after Hamas accepted it; Kushner downplayed the rejection on Fox News, calling it a "good meeting."
- Netanyahu insists Hamas must disarm first before Israel fulfills any commitments — the same position he holds on Lebanon, which negotiators view as obstructive.
- Israeli polling shows 45% of Israelis oppose a Gaza peace deal, 37% want fighting to resume, 17% want the status quo, two-thirds support continued occupation of southern Lebanon, and nearly half want major military action against Iran to continue.
- Netanyahu's "Mr Security" brand ahead of October elections depends on perpetual conflict, with many of his core supporters drawn from these pro-war blocs.
- Netanyahu's ongoing criminal trial benefits from war-driven scheduling, allowing him to claim recesses for "important political meetings" while his legal team cites official trips and security duties.
- Israel's economy has flourished during conflict: the Tel Aviv stock exchange is at record highs, the shekel has appreciated, and 2027 growth is projected at 5.6%, though an OECD report warned renewed intense military activity would exact "large fiscal costs."
Why it matters: Netanyahu's political survival — both ahead of October elections and during his criminal trial — depends on Israel staying at war, so Trump envoy visits face a leader with concrete domestic incentives to keep negotiations stalled. The Israeli public reinforces that wall: 45% oppose a Gaza deal and two-thirds back the Lebanon occupation, leaving the White House with little leverage from its closest Middle East ally.
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