It all seemed clear to Jared Kushner as he discussed the future of Gaza in an interview at Harvard University last February.

“I’m sitting in Miami Beach right now,” he said, referring to the offices of his new investment firm, Affinity Partners, in the coastal Florida city that has witnessed an eruption of skyscrapers and de-luxe hotels over the last decade.

Mr Kushner’s 11,000 sq ft headquarters boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Like Miami, Mr Kushner mused that Gaza possesses “very valuable” waterfront property and could become a hub for tourism – if the Gazan people were relocated, at least temporarily, out of the area.

Prof Tarek Masoud, the interview’s host, appeared shocked at the apparently off-hand remarks by Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

‘Is there anyone talking about this in Israel?” asked the chairman of the Middle East Initiative, which was hosting the talk. “I don’t know,” Mr Kushner replied, shrugging his shoulders.