(AP) WEST PALM BEACH, FL Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American billionaire and the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, was appointed as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs by President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday.
As a result of Democratic President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, Boulos orchestrated Trump’s campaign attempts to reach out to the Arab American community in Michigan, setting up hundreds of meetings in places with sizable Arab American communities. On his path to sweeping Michigan and other swing states, Trump captured the city of Dearborn Heights, which is home to a majority of Arab Americans.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “He has been a longtime supporter of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community.”
Although neither Trump nor Boulos have publicly provided specifics on Trump’s plans for the Middle East, they both stated that the Republican president-elect would bring peace to the region.
Boulos has longstanding connections to political leaders in Lebanon and has run for office there before. Other Trump appointees for important national security roles are ardent advocates of Trump ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has repeatedly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in areas that Israel has captured. In reference to the ancestors of those who lived in Palestine prior to the creation of Israel, he has asserted that there is no such thing as Palestinians.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for defense secretary, promoted the reconstruction of a biblical Jewish temple on the location of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest places in Islam.
In Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have died since Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters in their numbers, Boulos helped take advantage of divisions within the Democratic base over support for the Israeli offensive.
In 2016, Biden retook Michigan for the Democrats by almost 154,000 votes, but Trump won the state by just over 10,000 votes in 2020. In November, Trump defeated the Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, in Michigan with 49.7% of the vote.
Trump claimed on Truth Social that Massad is a negotiator and a steadfast advocate for Arab peace.
Trump is indicating that he will conduct his second government similarly to how he has always placed family members and their relatives in important positions. He declared on Saturday his intention to appoint Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, as ambassador to France.
___
This article was written by Joey Cappelletti of the Associated Press in Lansing, Michigan.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!