President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration will face significant challenges in the Middle East. As Voice of America correspondent Michael Lipin reports, Mr. Trump has selected two businessmen with whom he has strong personal ties as advisors on the issue.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected his longtime friend Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate investor who has campaigned for Mr. Trump's reelection, as his new special envoy for the Middle East.
This close relationship will help Mr. Witkoff in the region, says national security analyst Allison McManus.
"So since Witkoff needs to travel, meet with foreign counterparts, heads of state, or at the ministerial level, he will be able to have some kind of influence, since he is someone who speaks on behalf of the president and will have this kind of authority in these environments," says expert Allison McManus, from the Center for American Progress.
In May in Qatar, Mr. Witkoff praised this Persian Gulf country for diversifying its economy through government and private sector cooperation.
“I feel it in Qatar. I think they clearly had an economy that was much more oriented towards hydrocarbons, natural gas and things of that nature. They are expanding. Tourism has increased. The hotels here are wonderful. Who wouldn’t come back to this region?” Mr. Witkoff said.
Experts note that Mr. Witkoff may have to give up some real estate deals with Persian Gulf countries to comply with US laws against conflict of interest.
"It's absolutely something that's a big concern, as we see some of these figures, particularly from the business community, in roles where they can get personally enriched in negotiating circumstances that may be more favorable to certain countries, like the Gulf countries. And also what that could mean in terms of the priorities that they will set," says expert McManus.
Massad Boulos will serve as President-elect Trump's senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. He is the father-in-law of the president-elect's daughter, Tiffany.
The Lebanese-American entrepreneur also campaigned for Mr. Trump's reelection, mobilizing Arab-American voters in the state of Michigan.
Mr. Boulos is an executive at SCOA Nigeria, a company that sells trucks and heavy machinery in the West African country.
He was born into a Christian minority family in the northern Lebanese village of Kfar Akka, where his father served as mayor.
Last October, Mr. Boulos said that the conflict in the region had prevented him from returning to Lebanon.
"I haven't been back to my hometown, to my homeland, for many years because of this situation. I would like to go back. I would like my children to go back to Lebanon. Lebanon was once known as the Switzerland of the Middle East and Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East. We want it to be like that again," said Mr. Boulos.
Big challenges await President-elect Trump's new team in the Middle East. They include Israel's ongoing conflicts with Iran's partners in Gaza and Yemen, Iran's expanding nuclear program, Syria's chaotic exit from dictatorial rule, and a difficult-to-reach agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia./ Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
