Jared Kushner’s recent unveiling of a detailed “master plan” for Gaza’s postwar redevelopment—presented at Davos on January 22, 2026—logically serves to normalize a specific endgame: a demilitarized Gaza transformed into a prosperous economic hub, contingent on Hamas fully disarming.
By publicly displaying architectural renderings of skyscrapers, waterfront developments, luxury resorts, and infrastructure projects (estimated at $25 billion+ to boost GDP and household incomes), Kushner shifts the narrative from endless conflict to tangible prosperity.
The core logic is sequencing: Demilitarization first, reconstruction second.
Kushner repeatedly emphasizes that “without demilitarization, we can’t rebuild” and “if Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back Gaza and the people of Gaza from achieving their aspirations.”
He frames this as non-negotiable enforcement of a signed agreement (likely tied to the recent ceasefire), with no “Plan B.”
A new technocratic Palestinian body (the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza or similar) would oversee phased disarmament—starting with heavy weapons, then small arms—while working “with Hamas” on the process, though failure to comply blocks progress and investment.
This approach normalizes the endgame by making redevelopment the assumed “prize” for compliance.
It presents a positive, forward-looking vision—Gaza as a regional economic powerhouse by 2035, with jobs, modern utilities, and high-end real estate—amid devastation (60 million tonnes of rubble from the war).
By tying massive incentives (Gulf investment, international oversight via Trump’s “Board of Peace”) to disarmament, Kushner pressures Hamas indirectly: Resist, and Gaza remains impoverished and isolated; comply, and Palestinians gain livelihoods and stability.
This echoes his real-estate mindset, viewing security as the prerequisite for value creation, much like post-conflict rebuilding in other regions.
Critics see it as detached—Hamas has historically rejected disarmament as surrender—but Kushner’s rhetoric normalizes the outcome by assuming enforcement will succeed (“catastrophic success”).
It positions the U.S./Trump administration as dealmakers offering hope, while placing blame for failure squarely on Hamas.
In essence, he’s mainstreaming demilitarization not as an if, but as the inevitable precondition for any viable future, making armed resistance the obstacle to prosperity rather than a legitimate stance.
Written with the help of AI.
Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal 