Trump Picks Jewish Real Estate Investor Steve Witkoff for Middle East Envoy

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had picked Jewish real estate investor and campaign donor Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East.

As a pro-Israel donor and fundraiser for Trump's presidential campaign, Trump said in a statement that Witkoff is a "tireless voice for peace."

In an interview with The Bulwark in May, Witkoff explained that he secured "six-figure and seven-figure donations" for the Trump campaign from Jewish donors following Biden's announcement he'd be pausing weapons shipments to Israel.

In July, Witkoff attended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech address to Congress, telling Fox News that it "was strong and it was epic to be in that room."

"It felt spiritual," he added.

Trump's new envoy to the Middle East, Steven Witkoff, attended Netanyahu's speech to Congress in July & criticized Democrats for not supporting Bibi. “It felt spiritual,” he said, “and yet, that’s not the reaction you sense that you were getting from many of those Democrats.” pic.twitter.com/Co52GNpqYw

— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) November 12, 2024

Witkoff has no known experience with diplomacy or the Middle East.