Boulos, who is of Lebanese origin, made the remarks in Washington during a meeting with Yossi Dagan, the chairman of the extremist Samaria Regional Council [Screengrab/X]
US President Donald Trump’s adviser, Massad Boulos, has sparked outrage after claiming that peace between Lebanon and Israel was “imminent” while expressing support for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank — a move critics say normalises Israel’s illegal occupation and emboldens settlement expansion in Palestinian territory.
Boulos, who is of Lebanese origin, made the remarks in Washington during a meeting with Yossi Dagan, the chairman of the extremist Samaria Regional Council which represents 35 illegal Israeli settlements built on Palestinian land in clear violation of international law.
The settlements are condemned by most of the international community, and the United Nations has repeatedly called on Israel to dismantle its unlawful occupation of the West Bank. Yet Boulos openly praised the settlers, shaking Dagan’s hand in a video shared on social media.
“Your Excellency, the governor of Samaria, it’s a big pleasure and an honour to have met you,” Boulos told Dagan, using the Israeli term “Samaria” – a term used by far-right groups for the occupied West Bank.
Boulos went on to extend his “heartfelt appreciation” to the settlers of these illegal settlements, as well as to Israelis and Lebanese citizens alike.
“We are looking forward to peace, and we are aiming for peace, and by the grace of God, this will be achieved, hopefully, soon,” Boulos said.
His comments were met with sharp criticism, particularly from Palestinian advocates who condemned Boulos for aligning himself with figures promoting land grabs and ethnic cleansing.
Dagan, a hardline settler leader, praised Boulos and Trump’s administration, which notoriously backed Israel’s annexationist ambitions in the West Bank and turned a blind eye to Israel’s violent displacement of Palestinians.
“I believe, and I know, God sent us to walk together for the future of the Middle East and the future of the world,” Dagan said, reinforcing his vision of a West Bank dominated by Israeli settlers. “We are together, we will work together, thanks to President Trump.”
Boulos, a billionaire with multiple citizenships who once ran for Lebanese parliamentary elections, played a significant role in mobilising Arab American votes for Trump’s campaign. His close ties to Trump eventually saw him appointed as an adviser on Middle East and Arab affairs.
Boulos’ comments come amid growing speculation about efforts to push Lebanon into a peace deal with Israel, a notion widely rejected in Lebanese society. Lebanon does not officially recognise Israel and criminalises contact between Lebanese citizens and Israelis.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel engaged in cross-border fighting between October 2023 and November last year, which included a more than two-month all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon, parts of which Israeli troops continue to occupy.
More than 6,000 Lebanese were killed by Israel during the war. While most were fighters, the victims also included a significant number of women, children, emergency workers, journalists, and other non-combatants.
Israel continues to commit grave violations of a ceasefire deal, conducting airstrikes, shooting at people near the border, and recently allowing ultra-Orthodox Jews to cross into Lebanese territory to visit a shrine.
Lebanon’s leaders have warned that any future negotiations must prioritise Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory and the return to the 1949 armistice agreement — not a full-scale normalisation.
Last month, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff claimed Lebanon and Syria could “soon normalise relations with Israel”, citing Hezbollah’s battlefield losses and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz similarly hinted that Lebanon could follow Saudi Arabia in normalising ties – a move Riyadh has explicitly said will only come with Palestinian independence.
