U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is joined by Massad Boulos, who was recently named as a ‘senior advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs,’ during a campaign stop at the Great Commoner restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S., on November 1, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
Newly appointed special Arab and Middle East advisor Massad Boulos was interviewed by French newspaper Le Point on Tuesday, where he spoke about President-elect Donald Trump’s goals for the region.
Boulos said the No. 1 priority entering the White House is the hostages, whom Trump demanded to be released before his inauguration or “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East.”
Boulos also indicated that Trump has no intention of linking the release of the hostages to the future governance of the Gaza Strip.
“The president believes that the hostages must be released immediately and that there must be no further delay,” Boulos told Le Point. “According to him, their fate should not be linked to other issues related to the day after in Gaza. Several countries are currently helping to achieve this goal, whether it is Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, or even Turkey.”
After the release of the hostages, the incoming Middle East advisor said that the Trump administration will be focused on expanding the Abraham Accords with renewed efforts to make a deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Because we know very well, and the president has said so, that once we reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia on Israel, there will be at least twelve Arab countries that will be immediately ready to follow suit,” Boulos remarked.
While acknowledging that the United States and Israel would engage in discussions over a “roadmap leading to a Palestinian state,” the Lebanese-American politician also noted that both Palestinians and Israelis had rejected Trump’s earlier plan. In addition, the Saudi Kingdom is not insisting on the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of its normalization talks with Israel.
Boulos said that while Trump has promised to apply “maximum pressure” on Iran, the president-elect is not currently focused on a regime change.
“There are three very important points for him,” Boulos told the French newspaper: “Iran must absolutely not have nuclear power; Iran’s ballistic missiles pose a risk not only to Israel, but also to the Gulf countries; and finally, the problem posed by Iranian proxies in the region, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq or Yemen. Apart from these three axes, President Trump did not talk about regime change.”
Boulos told the newspaper that his appointment as Arab and Middle East advisor was “a great honor” and a “great responsibility.”
“The vision is to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East. We have four years to work, and we hope to achieve something that will be sustainable for the future and generations to come,” he stated.
Meanwhile, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump is considering naming Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a replacement for U.S. Secretary of Defense instead of Pete Hegseth, after allegations regarding Hegseth’s personal life led to concern among some Republican senators.
The Senate must approve all cabinet picks, and Trump is considering a replacement that will pass without difficulty.
Since DeSantis supports many of the same views regarding “woke” policies in the military, as well as positions on foreign policy in the Middle East, he is seen as a strong contender for the role if Trump decides to withdraw Hegseth’s nomination.
Both DeSantis and Hegseth are outspoken supporters of Israel, with DeSantis implementing pro-Israel policies during his tenure as Florida governor. DeSantis has even boasted that he is the most “pro-Israel governor” in America.
