US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
“I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as senior advisor to the president on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs,” Trump posted on Truth Social of the appointment, which puts his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law in a major White House position.
Boulos was a crucial envoy for the Trump campaign, trying to rally Arab American and Muslim voters, many of whom were upset at President Joe Biden’s unflinching support for Israel in the Gaza conflict even as the civilian death toll grew into the tens of thousands.
The billionaire will take over a difficult portfolio, with Israel’s war in Gaza still ongoing, a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon experiencing early violations, and rebel forces in Syria advancing against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Boulos’s son, Michael, is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany and is the latest family member to be appointed to a key position.
On Saturday, Trump named real estate executive Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared, as the US ambassador to France, eschewing experience or expertise as a criterion for joining his team.
“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene,” said Trump of his appointment to the Middle East advisor job.
“He has been a long-time proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American community.”
The Republican referred to Boulos as “a dealmaker.”
Trump frequently pledged on the campaign trail to put an end to the hostilities in Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere, without defining how he would do so.
“What we mean by finishing it quickly is, I mean, you have some military targets that you have to accomplish, which is to get rid of the Hamas infrastructure and ability to launch new attacks and so on,” he said.
“Let’s move to peace, and let’s move to rebuilding Gaza and rebuilding Lebanon,” he added.
“We want Gaza to be prosperous. We want the Palestinian people to be prosperous, to live in peace, to live in harmony, side by side with the Israelis, and to have full security on both sides.”
Boulos’ family owns at least two car parts distribution businesses in Nigeria.
The businessman, a Christian Maronite, has previously run unsuccessfully for a seat in Lebanon’s parliament.
