Critics said his comments suggested that Trump’s son-in-law should not be involved in negotiations with Iran because he is Jewish
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJulian RyallPublished: 4:56pm, 14 Apr 2026Israel’s ambassador to Japan and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre have condemned a Japanese political commentator over remarks he made on a morning news programme that were widely criticised as suggesting Jared Kushner should not be involved in negotiations with Iran because he is Jewish.Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, joined Vice-President J.D. Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff in Islamabad over the weekend for talks aimed at ending the war between the US, Israel and Iran.Commentator Toru Tamagawa made the remarks on Friday’s broadcast of TV Asahi’s Hatori Shinichi Morning Show during a segment on the Middle East and Kushner’s role as a Trump envoy.
“It just looks like he’s there as a representative of the Trump family, and moreover, he’s Jewish, isn’t he?” Tamagawa said. “Regarding these talks with Iran, I feel like he’s someone who would be better off not being there, and I’ve always wondered what kind of person he is, coming in as the son-in-law.”
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen confirmed on Tuesday that he had sent a letter of complaint to TV Asahi, even as the broadcaster defended its handling of the segment.
In a post on social media, Cohen wrote: “I have sent a formal letter to TV Asahi regarding the concerning remarks made by Toru Tamagawa, who suggested that Jared Kushner should be excluded from diplomatic negotiations simply because he is Jewish.”
