Jerusalem’s US Embassy Courtyard Named in Honor of Jared Kushner

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​The courtyard of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem was named in honor of Jared Kushner last week following his role in the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement.

“Kushner courtyard, dedicated in honor of Jared Kushner and inspired by his relentless pursuit of peace,” U.S. Ambassador David  Friedman said in an unveiling of the plaque last Monday.

Friedman also quoted remarks Kushner made at the ceremony that celebrated the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, saying, “When there is peace in this region, we will look back upon this day and remember that the journey for peace started with a strong America recognizing the truth.

“Those words rang true when they were spoken in 2018, and they have proved to be true in the years that followed,” he added.

President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem instantly sparked backlash in 2017, as it reversed a long-standing U.S. policy that Jerusalem’s status must be determined following negotiations with Palestinians, who have eyed East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

The most recent deal between the UAE and Israel, which was spearheaded by Kushner, also left Palestinians feeling betrayed, as the agreement represents an annexation of Palestinian land, and the Emirates had previously withheld recognizing Israel due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Since the election, Kushner has spent a significant amount of time outside of the US, traveling within the Middle East to promote the work he’s done throughout the White House’s Middle East peace initiatives.

“Jared might have this aura about him,” one Trump adviser told The Daily Beast. “But what he does well is he knows when to come in and out. He is not some Trump whisperer that the president is listening to on shit like [the post election conspiracies]. There is a reason he does what he does. There is a reason he floats in and out and goes when the going gets bad. He doesn’t want to play that role. The entire reason he is gone right now is because he knows the president would probably erupt on him.”