Trump names Lebanon-born Boulos as his Mideast adviser

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump has named Lebanon-born billionaire Massad Boulos as his senior White House adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, citing his outreach to Arab Americans during the election campaign.

The announcement of the appointment comes as the Trump administration continues to take shape, in terms of the officials who will oversee US policy in the Middle East.

Before Boulos selection, who is the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter, he tapped pro-Israel hawk Marco Rubio as his nominee for secretary of state; Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as his ambassador to Israel and friend Steven Witkoff, a businessman with little policy experience, as special envoy to the Middle East.

US President-elect in a statement on his Truth Social platform, hailed Boulos as “an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene”.

“Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of peace in the Middle East. I am pleased to have him on our team!” Trump wrote.

Boulos was a key figure in the Trump campaign’s outreach to the Arab American community and sought to capitalise on outrage over President Joe Biden’s continued support for Israel during the war in Gaza and Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Trump had repeatedly promised to end the war in Gaza and prevent further escalation but had long been the preferred candidate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.