At the World Economic Forum today in Davos, Jared Kushner shared his plan to rebuild Gaza based on “free market principles.” The UN estimates 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since 2023 by Israel. Kushner presented slides with renderings of new glitzy towers and transportation, digital, and energy infrastructure built on Gaza’s ruins.
Kushner’s masterplan entails transforming Gaza into a “coastal tourism” destination with 180 new mixed-use towers, he said. An architect wasn’t named on the project he is behind with Steve Witkoff, another New York City real estate developer, first announced in the Wall Street Journal in December.
The so-called “New Gaza” plan immediately drew criticism from human rights groups. Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American writer, said on social media the “indigenous traditions and social fabric of this land will be obliterated utterly” by the proposal.
Industrial zones would be built in between residential areas. Kushner’s vision for what he calls “New Rafah” includes the construction of 100,000 housing units; 200 educational centers; 75 medical centers; and 180 cultural, religious, and vocational centers.
A “Board of Peace” that would be chaired by President Trump would oversee the construction project, the White House recently said. Already, invitations to Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been extended. Egypt and Turkey also received invitations to join.
The presentation in Davos comes two years after Netanyahu’s office issued another plan to build a “massive free trade zone” in Gaza with rail connections to NEOM in Saudi Arabia. It later came to light that Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair developed the Gaza 2035 plan with Israeli leaders, although BCG denies the claims.
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