By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump on Sunday named Massad Boulos, a Christian Lebanese-born billionaire, and father-in-law to his daughter Tiffany, his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs at a time of mounting tensions in Israel and the region.
Boulos joins real estate developer Steve Witkoff, who Trump named special envoy to the Middle East, along with nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a devoted Christian, in serving the region.
“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.
“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was
instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American
Community,” Trump wrote. “Massad is a dealmaker and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East.”
Massad Boulos is also the father of Michael Boulos, who married Tiffany Trump in 2022.
BORN IN LEBANON
Boulos, who was born in Lebanon and moved to Texas as a teenager to attend the University of Houston, began his working career by joining his family’s automotive business in Nigeria and rose to lead SCOA Motors and Boulos Enterprises.
It was previously reported that Boulos unsuccessfully ran for a parliamentary seat in Lebanon in 2009 and is known to have close ties across Lebanon’s Christian political class.
His father-in-law was a crucial player in the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party ironically aligned with anti-Israel Hezbollah.
However, in October, Boulos said he is “not affiliated with any party in Lebanon” but is “acquainted with most Lebanese Christian leaders,” one of whom is a presidential candidate endorsed by Hezbollah.
He also disputed previous reporting by the Saudi English-language newspaper Arab News and The Associated Press news agency that he ran for parliament in Lebanon.
Yet in a June interview, Boulos described himself as a “friend” of Lebanese politician Suleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada Movement.
Hezbollah reportedly backs Frangieh’s bid to become Lebanon’s next president. In 2023, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah endorsed Frangieh’s candidacy. An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed Nasrallah in late September.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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