Protests in Albania continued Tuesday following news last week that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are planning a development that would promote Albania’s largest island and surrounding area as a 250-hectare luxury tourist destination.
Southern Island and part of the nearby Narta Zvernec wetland and lagoon ecosystem are of strategic importance between the Strait of Otranto and the mouth of the Gulf of Vlore, marking the boundary between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas that flow into the Mediterranean Sea.
The dubious deal has sparked anger in Albania over its economic model, corruption, environmental destruction and status as the EU’s doormat. On June 1, Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Agency confirmed it was investigating the project, which is also backed by Qatari billionaire brothers, a businessman accused of ties to the Italian mafia, a corrupt judge, and one of Albania’s most powerful oligarchs.
What else can you summarize about Ivanka and Jared’s “resort”?
Epstein Island again? Epstein again?
First, let’s put the resort’s location and characters into context. Prime Minister Rama remains committed and says the development will be in line with Albania’s ambitions to become a major global luxury tourist destination. And indeed, tourism has grown exponentially in the country in recent years. At the same time, Albania remains a global hub for human trafficking, where women and minors are exploited for sexual purposes, and the tourism boom is transforming Albania from a gateway for human trafficking into Europe to more of a destination for human trafficking.
Albania is largely controlled by powerful organized crime networks that arose after the breakup of Yugoslavia and during the subsequent Balkan wars and NATO bombing. (Coincidentally, Mr. Kushner and his partners also plan to convert the former Serbian Ministry of Defense building in Belgrade into a luxury hotel, which had been vacant for decades after being bombed by NATO in 1999.)
Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Albanian Strategic Investment Board gave Kushner the right to accelerate Southern negotiations in January 2025, but the Albanian mafia also reportedly played a key role.
Journalists are increasingly speaking out about the “Aruba Conference.” They report that the land chosen for Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s luxury resort was taken from its local owners by an Albanian organized crime group operating in the United States, and Prime Minister Rama and foreign authorities claim to know. 🇦🇱🇺🇸🦩 https://t.co/kW2GqZtXW8 pic.twitter.com/9IoZXiIre0
— Tirana Report (@Tirana_Report) June 7, 2026
So there you have it.
Jared and Ivanka also “discovered” Southern by chance while aboard Nat Rothschild’s luxury yacht. Kushner said he was encouraged to invest in Albania by Richard Grenell, a former director of national intelligence and current special presidential envoy (a position created at the start of Trump 2.0).
Kushner met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama aboard Nat Rothschild’s yacht in a meeting arranged by Nat, which Jared said helped get the $4 billion luxury bunker project off the ground.
Although Nat appears to be important to this story, he is also well represented in another story: the Epstein Files. From the Guardian:
Jeffrey Epstein has described Peter Mandelson as “evil” for lobbying banks to take over a mining project launched by their mutual friend Nat Rothschild.
And the Rothschild dynasty lurks throughout the Epstein and Maxwell story.
🚨Whitney Webb:
“Epstein was a middle manager working on behalf of a close network of oligarchs.”
“Robert Maxwell literally came to the United States representing Rothschild banking interests.”
“The oligarchy is not responsible. Nothing will happen to Leslie Wexner…” pic.twitter.com/czt6FKR8Ys
— Sense Receptor (@SenseReceptor) March 13, 2026
While it’s impossible to say that Kushner Island will be a stand-in for Epstein, the coincidence of characters and appropriate locations, as well as Jared’s own background, have led to speculation that Jared is playing the role that opens with Epstein’s “suicide.”
Rothschild helps Kushner discover island—Epstein Island 2.0 begins to take shape
Jared Kushner: “We were on vacation on our friend Nat Rothschild’s boat when we found Southern Island in Albania.”
🧵Thread about who Nat Rothschild is, Jared Kushner and their history with Epstein https://t.co/RfXulzbz7S pic.twitter.com/4TjM8X8Iw4
— Phantom Pain (@phantompain1984) June 2, 2026
Southern Island is home to at least 3,600 Soviet-style nuclear bunkers built during the Cold War, consistent with a trend of billionaires destroying the planet under the illusion that they can continue to live comfortably in their underground lairs. Of course, it’s a fantasy, but it’s elegantly done.
There are also at least 10,000 underground tunnels that could be useful.
israel on the adriatic sea
Kushner has made clear his goal of helping Israel expand its sphere of influence.
Jared Kushner said he would only bring wealth, power, and status to countries that joined the Abraham Accords.
Mr. Kushner said he would create an “economic package” to encourage countries not yet part of the Abraham Accords to join.
Kushner says he has his sights set on Morocco… pic.twitter.com/EsZw2i9PuO
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) June 3, 2026
But instead of leading, he follows. Albania has worked closely with the United States and Israel for many years, deepening ties only during the American and Israeli genocide in Gaza. From Untold Mag:
Over the past two years, Albania and Israel have signed a number of agreements covering areas such as agriculture, education, energy, culture, tourism, defense and drone technology. Trade between the two countries also grew rapidly. According to the Albanian Institute of Statistics, exports from Israel to Albania increased by more than 150% between May 2023 and May 2024.
Israeli investment in Albania is expanding, especially in the financial sector. In early 2025, there were reports that investors associated with Israel’s One Zero Digital Bank were considering entering the Albanian banking market. Later that year, JET Bank, the country’s first fully digital bank, was founded and is owned by British-Israeli businessman Idan Avishai. Other Israeli leaders include Oliver Hemmer and Rami Solomon.
Meanwhile, Albania is under intense scrutiny from human rights researchers. A report tracking global fuel shipments to Israel during the Gaza war lists Albania as one of 11 countries supplying fuel.
…Military cooperation between Albania and Israel is also increasing. In late 2025, Albania signed multi-million euro arms contracts with Israeli defense companies including Elbit Systems. The deal includes artillery systems, mortars and tactical drones, as well as plans to develop domestic production in partnership with Albania’s state-owned company KAYO.
Since June 2023, the two countries have formally cooperated in cybersecurity and training…
Additionally, in May 2026, Elbit will register its Albanian branch with the National Business Center and carry out the same activities as in Israel. In early 2025, Elbit and KAYO agreed to reopen the Albanian Aviation Academy to train military and civilian pilots.
Political ties also deepened. In November 2025, Albania established the “Israel Alliance Caucus” in parliament as part of an international network in collaboration with the Israel Alliance Foundation. The group is co-chaired by representatives of both major political parties, reflecting widespread political support for closer ties with Israel.
This close cooperation culminated in January when Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited Jerusalem and met with Netanyahu, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Gaza.
However, Israel is not the only Middle Eastern country interested in Albania.
Kushner the Qatari Billionaire (or is it Kushner the Qatari Billionaire?)
Another key figure in the Albanian bunker resort is the Kayat brothers. Mr. Mutaz, Mr. Ramez, and Mohammad Al Khayat are Syrian-born billionaires with Qatari nationality. Their Power International Holding, which reported $12 billion in Syria reconstruction contracts frozen under U.S. sanctions, will now use some of that money to help finance Kushner Island. From AJ Jaff:
Three Syrian-born Qatari billionaires with a $12 billion Syria reconstruction portfolio have been sitting behind a wall of US sanctions known as the Caesar Act for six years, patiently waiting for the right time. This law acted as a wall blocking their access to financing and sanctioning nearly all their assets. They lobbied and partnered with President Trump’s son-in-law (Jared Kushner) on a $4 billion Albanian resort. Kushner persuaded his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, to sign a bill that would lift all sanctions on Syria and bring down the wall. Six months later, the resort broke ground. The brothers’ Syria reconstruction portfolio is now available for funding. The Trump family took a stand. The Albanian government rolled out the carpet.
That means Mr. Kushner’s Gulf-backed Affinity Partners is leading the deal, apparently with help from U.S. spies.
These are not Luxus resorts. Southern – Albanish Island an der Strasse von Otrand – Maritime Tor Zwischen Adria und Mittelmeer.
Bunker with 3,600 atoms. 15km tunnel. Ehemalige sowjetische U-Boot-Anlegestellen.
Die Insel controllert we die Adria controlliert.…
— Anna (@AnnaDeMilanese) June 7, 2026
EU sacrificial zone
Kushner Island is just one of many projects the Albanian government has pursued as part of its strategy to attract foreign capital and expand the country’s luxury tourism sector.
🚨Karabrun is officially on sale
awarded by the Albanian government
Grants “strategic investor” status to an Italian hotelier who wants to build a tourist resort in the nature reserve of Kepi i Shenjerjit, next to the caves of Hashi Aliu in southern Albania
The peninsula is home to some serious species. pic.twitter.com/qmra1AQc3x
— Arjan 🌲 (@SigurimiShtet) September 24, 2025
Coastal resorts are one of the most visible examples of how the country and its resources are being exploited in a variety of ways.
Like many other Balkan countries, Albania remains on the EU membership waiting list. Meanwhile, it is treated as a “jungle” sacrificial zone for the EU’s “garden”.
cheap labor. From Intellinews:
Elsewhere in the region, Albania’s clothing and textile industry is mainly centered around a process known as “facon”, in which materials are imported and then processed and re-exported into partially or fully finished garments and shoes. The industry has developed thanks to Albania’s low costs (it is a labor-intensive sector, and Albania’s minimum wage is the lowest in Europe) and its proximity to Italy, one of the world’s leading fashion countries.
Industry insiders say garments and shoes are typically exported almost completely to Italy, where Italian workers add the finishing touches and packaging so they can hit the shelves with the prestigious “Made in Italy” label.
Power generation. The EU is building €3.5 billion worth of gas-fired power plants, pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals in the Western Balkans, which will send most of the electricity to the gardens.
resource. A $1 billion project to build an undersea water pipeline is currently underway. The pipeline will pump 150 million cubic meters of water a year into the patchwork southeastern heel of the Italian boot. For the Albanian side, this plan could be incredibly short-sighted. The country has historically been blessed with an abundance of fresh water and relies on hydroelectric power for much of its energy needs. However, electricity has been forced to be rationed in recent years due to drought and the impact on hydropower plants, and ongoing climate change is expected to worsen the problem.
Refugee dumping ground. Italy is currently moving unwanted asylum seekers from Italy to cages in Albania, a move that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called “out-of-the-box thinking.” That’s one way to say it. Despite being in the running for more than a decade, Albania is not yet an EU member state, and automatically detained migrants are likely to face the country in violation of Italian and EU law. However, Prime Minister von der Leyen’s EU sees Italy’s Albania plan as a template for the EU, and is currently considering something similar across the Balkans.
Albanians seem to have had enough.
