Kushner Says Israeli Government Acting 'A Little Irrational' on Gaza Due to Election

US special envoy Jared Kushner, speaking at a conference in Kyiv on September 7, 2026, said next month's Israeli Knesset election has made Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government act 'a little irrational' on Gaza policy: 'They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.' Kushner said the US 'agree[s] with the Israelis on the end state for Gaza' but suggested domestic political considerations were stalling progress on the Board of Peace's plan to decommission Hamas and other armed groups' weapons in tandem with an Israeli withdrawal. US officials said Israel has not provided guarantees on establishing a new Gaza police force or met commitments on reconstruction materials — both prerequisites for the proposed technocratic government and demilitarization plan. The remarks are a rare public criticism of Netanyahu's Gaza conduct by a senior Trump administration official, following earlier reports that Kushner privately urged Netanyahu not to 'create obstacles' to the peace roadmap.