Investigation: Bin Salman and Bin Zayed are financing Kushner’s plan to reshape the Middle East, with Netanyahu’s encouragement

Washington - Ofoq News - An investigation in the American magazine "Vanity Fair" revealed allegations of secret financial arrangements worth at least two billion dollars between Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and former advisor of US President Donald Trump, the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

According to the investigation, the money was transferred to bank accounts in the UAE and Israel, as part of efforts to promote a secret foreign policy and reshape relations in the Middle East.

This revelation is an excerpt from investigative journalist Matthew Cole's new book, Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Zayed's Secret Plan to Reshape the Middle East.

According to the investigation, Kushner allegedly gained access to accounts containing large sums of money while working as a senior adviser in the White House during Trump's first term. His lawyers have denied the existence of some of these accounts, and have denied allegations of violations of the law.

The case, according to Cole, began with information obtained by the Dutch military intelligence service in late 2017. A Russian agent recruited to cooperate with the Dutch was given access to a Russian military intelligence server, where screenshots from Kushner's phone were found. Later, Dutch intelligence officers were able to exploit a security vulnerability that allowed them to view the device's screen while it was being used.

Through surveillance, it was allegedly discovered that Kushner had accessed a bank account in the United Arab Emirates, to which hundreds of millions of dollars were transferred via a bank in Azerbaijan. This information raised the suspicions of intelligence officials, leading to an examination of Kushner's financial ties to Gulf state leaders.

The secret account in the Emirates and the money transferred through Azerbaijan

According to the investigation, at the beginning of Trump's first term, Bin Zayed and Bin Salman discussed with Kushner the creation of a secret fund worth more than $10 billion to help the US administration achieve its foreign policy goals. It is claimed that among the options proposed is financing the construction of the wall on the US-Mexico border.

The original scheme was not carried out in full detail, but according to the post, at least $2 billion was transferred to two accounts designated for Kushner. The first account, known in the investigation as “Alpha,” contained about $750 million on deposit starting in 2017. It was managed by First Abu Dhabi Bank, and owned by the Watani Al Emarat Charitable Foundation, which is funded by the government.

According to the report, Kushner was not the owner of the account, but rather an authorized signatory who, at least in principle, could conduct transactions in it. Sources who spoke to Cole also claimed that the fund itself served as a cover to finance secret military and intelligence operations for the UAE.

“Jared was looking for shortcuts in his diplomacy,” a source familiar with the arrangement said. The source added that Kushner promised to support Trump's bin Zayed agenda in exchange for participation in the fund, and he wanted to promote normalization with Israel to allow the expansion of trade relations.

One of the main allegations in the investigation relates to another bank account dubbed “Beta.” According to the report, by the spring of 2018, bin Zayed had transferred about $1 billion through Azerbaijan to Israel for Kushner. A source familiar with the details of the account claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Kushner to deposit money into the Bank of Israel, in a way that made the account appear like a government account.

According to the same report, Netanyahu demanded that Kushner be updated on the latest developments before taking any action on the account. These updates were allegedly conveyed through the then US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who was in contact with the prime minister.

Another source, according to Cole, who worked with Kushner to transfer money from Israel, claimed that a large portion of the amount was later transferred to accounts in Cyprus, and from there to other destinations. A person familiar with the details of the money claimed that it was earmarked for Kushner's personal benefit. However, the investigation indicated that it was not clear how these funds were used.

The investigation also revealed that Kushner helped promote a third, separate arrangement, under which the UAE transferred money to the Bank of Israel to finance a potential Israeli defense of the country in the event of a major Iranian attack.

According to Cole, this arrangement was concluded at a time when relations between Israel and the UAE were witnessing an undeclared improvement.

The investigation also raises questions about Kushner's reporting obligations as a US government employee. According to Cole, access to foreign accounts of the type described would have required reporting to US authorities. A former prosecutor on Robert Mueller's investigation team said that if Kushner promised to advance the interests of foreign governments in exchange for money, it could be a violation of anti-bribery laws and foreign espionage laws.

Four former Trump administration officials, including two national security advisers, a White House chief of staff, and a former CIA director, told The Voice that they were not aware of a presidential authorization granting Kushner access to a foreign government's bank account. Kushner's lawyer denied his client's involvement in the arrangements that were not approved by the president, stressing that Kushner acted in accordance with the law and in a manner that served the interests of the United States.