New Book Alleges Netanyahu Helped Kushner Hide Gulf Funds

A newly published book by investigative journalist Matthew Cole, titled "Princes and Thieves," has sparked international attention after alleging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assisted Jared Kushner in masking substantial financial transfers from Gulf states. The explosive claims, excerpted recently in Vanity Fair, suggest that approximately one billion dollars originating from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia was funneled into secret accounts accessible to Kushner during his tenure as a White House senior advisor.

The context of these allegations dates back to late 2017, when Dutch military intelligence reportedly intercepted communications involving Kushner's mobile device. According to Cole's research, foreign hackers had gained access to a server containing screenshots of Kushner's phone activity, eventually allowing Dutch intelligence to monitor his interactions. Investigators allegedly discovered that Kushner accessed a branch of the First Abu Dhabi Bank in Dubai, where hundreds of millions of dollars had arrived via intermediary accounts in Azerbaijan. This financial network, termed "Alpha," was officially tied to an Emirati charity but allegedly functioned as a front for covert intelligence and military financing operations.

Further analysis in the book claims that Benjamin Netanyahu played a direct role in structuring how a portion of these funds entered Israel. The author asserts that Netanyahu recommended depositing the money into the Bank of Israel under the guise of a governmental account to obscure its private origin. Moreover, the narrative suggests that Netanyahu demanded advance notification and personal approval for any outgoing transfers from this account, utilizing the former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, as a diplomatic intermediary. Figures close to the matter allege that the funds were subsequently routed through Cyprus and other jurisdictions, potentially serving to finance various security arrangements, including a secret defense pact between Israel and the Emirates ahead of the Abraham Accords.

The geopolitical backdrop of these purported financial maneuvers involves a complex matrix of interests across the Middle East. At the time, regional leaders such as Emirati ruler Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were navigating strategic shifts regarding Iran, U.S. policy, and regional normalization. Concurrently, the Kushner family real estate holdings faced significant financial pressures, including substantial debt related to a high-profile skyscraper in Manhattan. Critics and investigators argue that mingling private financial incentives with high-stakes public diplomacy raises profound ethical and legal questions regarding transparency, foreign lobbying, and conflict of interest.

In response to the publication, Jared Kushner issued a scathing rebuttal on social media, categorizing the allegations as entirely fabricated, insane, and driven by a malicious agenda. Kushner emphasized that during the period in question, he underwent rigorous congressional and special counsel scrutiny, providing dozens of hours of testimony without any such claims ever surfacing. Former Ambassador David Friedman similarly dismissed his alleged involvement as entirely false. As the debate continues, the absence of publicly verifiable banking documents leaves the core assertions dependent on anonymous sources, highlighting the ongoing tension between explosive investigative reporting and official denials in modern geopolitics.