Politically Divided Kushner Brothers Unite Over Murder of Rabbi in the United Arab Emirates, Pledging To Donate $1 Million Each to Chabad Center

Jared Kushner, who was one of the architects of the 2020 Abraham Accords, announced the donation before his brother, Josh Kushner, offered to match it.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Senator J.D. Vance, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive as President Trump speaks during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center at West Palm Beach, Florida. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The son-in-law of President Trump, Jared Kushner, and his wife, Ivanka Trump, are pledging to donate $1 million to the United Arab Emirates’ Chabad center after its local Chabad emissary, Rabbi Zvi Kogan, was murdered. 

Mr. Kushner, who was one of the architects of the 2020 Abraham Accords, a bilateral agreement which established diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE, announced the donation in a lengthy message on X. He described Kogan’s Rabbinical work in the UAE as “a shining light in the world and a strong counter to the history of division.” He continued by commending the UAE for being a place where “people of all faiths and backgrounds thrive together in an environment of mutual understanding and respect.” 

The couple pledged to donate $1 million to the Chabad center and also to “redouble our efforts to work with the Jewish community and the country’s leadership to build a resilient, vibrant Jewish community in Abu Dhabi and Dubai,” adding that “we welcome others to join us in this effort.”

Mr. Kushner’s brother, Josh Kushner took him up on the offer and shared that he and his wife, supermodel Karlie Kloss, would be matching their $1 million donation. “I am inspired by your and Ivanka’s leadership,” he wrote on X. “May we live in a time of peace, unity and acceptance. May Rabbi Kogan’s memory be a blessing.” 

Kogan, who worked in the capital of Abu Dhabi as an emissary for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, was found dead on Sunday after he was reported missing on Thursday. Three Uzbek nationals were arrested soon after in connection to the killing. Iran has denied — despite mounting speculation — that it had anything to do with the attack. 

The tragedy of his death appears to be something that the Kushner brothers, who famously have differing political views, can agree on. Jared Kushner, who played a key role in Trump’s 2016 political campaign, became a senior adviser to the president during his first term in office. He has been a registered Republican since then. 

Josh Kushner, on the other hand, is a lifelong Democrat and has publicly distanced himself from his brother’s political views. Same goes for his wife, Ms. Kloss, who, after the January 6 riot, claimed in a since-deleted tweet that she “tried” to tell her sister and brother-in-law that not “accepting the results of a legitimate democratic election is patriotic. Refusing to do so and inciting violence is anti-American.” 


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