Arab adviser Dina Habib Powell to leave Trump team
US president Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Egyptian-American Dina Habib Powell, will leave her position early next year.
The surprising news comes after Mr Trump’s announcement officially recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that has sparked outrage and protests across the Middle East.
The exit of Mrs Powell, a driving force behind the Trump government’s Middle East policy, will be part of an anticipated wave of departures after his first year in office, The Washington Post reported.
But unlike other senior officials, including secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who are rumoured to soon be leaving or replaced over splits with the president, her departure is attributed to family reasons.
One source close to Mrs Powell said that she had been considering her departure “for a few months and is itching to go back to New York where her family is”.
She has played an instrumen- tal role in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and has, since taking office in January, helped to mend relations between Arab governments and the US.
Mrs Powell has also been part of several US delegations. She accompanied Mr Trump to Saudi Arabia in May, travelled with secretary of defence Jim Mattis to Egypt, and has embarked on trips in the Middle East with Jared Kushner – Mr Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, who is leading a delegation to discuss the peace process.
She also played a critical role in negotiations of the release of
The exit of Mrs Powell will be part of an anticipated wave of departures after Mr Trump’s first year in office
US activist Aya Hijazi from an Egyptian prison.
Mrs Powell was born in Cairo in 1973, speaks fluent Arabic and immigrated with her parents to Texas at the age of 4.
At 32, she was assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs under George W Bush. She moved to New York and joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 as managing director and in 2010 became a partner.
Mrs Powell was praised for her efforts at the investment bank to promote women entrepreneurship, including overseeing initiatives and aid programmes that allowed her to cross paths with Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and top aide.
With her departure, the Arab-American community will lose a seat close to Mr Trump’s desk.
It is still unclear who will replace Mrs Powell, but an appointment will probably take place early next year after a reshuffle of national security and foreign policy positions.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump has nominated Alex Azar, of Lebanese origin, as secretary of health and human services.