After Charles Kushner, Donald Trump appoints Massad Boulos, the father of his other son-in-law, to his administration

After Charles Kushner at the United States embassy in France the day before, Donald Trump decided to appoint Massad Boulos, the father of his other son-in-law, advisor for the Middle East.

Donald Trump announced this Sunday, December 1, to appoint the American-Lebanese businessman Massad Boulos, father of one of his sons-in-law, as advisor for the Middle East.

“Massad is a good negotiator and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East. He will be a staunch defender of the United States and its interests,” wrote the American president-elect, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas undermines the region for over a year.

A longtime Republican billionaire

A longtime Republican, Massad Boulos built his fortune selling automobiles in Nigeria. The marriage in 2022 of his son Michael Boulos to one of Donald Trump's daughters, Tiffany, propelled him into the inner circle of the billionaire newly elected to the White House.

He actively took part in the presidential campaign, getting involved in convincing the Arab community in certain key states to vote for Donald Trump.

“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene,” praised the president-elect, who is due to take office on January 20.

A Maronite Christian, Massad Boulos tried to get elected as a parliamentarian in Lebanon, without success. During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly said he would end the conflict between Israel and Hamas, without ever revealing a plan to do so. Massad Boulos explained in October that he shared the same philosophy.

Israel “has military objectives to achieve, namely to get rid of Hamas' infrastructure and its capacity to launch new attacks”, he admitted in an interview with Sky News. But “they have to do it very quickly. (…) This cannot last forever,” he added.

The fathers of his sons-in-law in his administration

His appointment comes a few days after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite Islamist movement allied with Hamas and Iran. This truce in Lebanon gives hope for progress in the Middle East for the administration of Joe Biden, still in power for a few weeks.

In the wake of the Lebanese agreement, the United States is “actively” working on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Jake Sullivan, the current White House national security adviser, said on Sunday. . But “we are not there yet,” he said.

On Saturday, Donald Trump also named Charles Kushner, the father of his other son-in-law Jared Kushner, married to Ivanka Trump, as United States ambassador to France.

An atypical choice for diplomatic functions: Mr. Kushner spent a year in federal prison for tax embezzlement, before being pardoned by Donald Trump towards the end of his first term in the White House.