Adam Boehler, a 51-year-old Jewish member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and a staunch supporter of Israel since the October 7 massacre, has been at the center of controversy in his role as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for hostage affairs. Appointed to the position three months ago , Boehler has made several contentious statements regarding the hostage situation, ranging from advocating for U.S. commando raids in Gaza to and hinting at the possibility of a long-term cease-fire (“hudna”) between Hamas and Israel.
Born in New York to Jewish parents, Boehler was college roommates with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, at the University of Pennsylvania. His career began in a tech-focused venture capital firm before he co-founded a private company specializing in health care services. Boehler later founded a lab management company for the U.S. healthcare system, as well as the largest home health care company in the U.S., which was sold in 2021 for $3.5 billion. That same year, he established Rubicon Founders, a health care investment firm.
Boehler’s connection to the U.S. government started in 2018 when he was appointed to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. In 2019, he became the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a federal agency created during Trump’s first term, which was dissolved in 2021. He also led the federal task force for streamlining COVID-19 testing and was appointed by Trump to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.
Boehler, who is active in the Jewish community in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife Shira and their four children, has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the October 7 massacre. He previously served as a mediator for Trump in the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco and Sudan.
In interviews, Boehler revealed Hamas’ proposals during the direct talks and hinted that the U.S. does not rule out a long-term cease-fire with the terror organization. Speaking to Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Boehler stated, “Hamas offered a deal that includes the release of all hostages and prisoners, as well as a five-to-10-year cease-fire during which Hamas would disarm. The U.S., along with other countries, would ensure there are no more tunnels, no military activities, and that Hamas would no longer be involved in politics.”
In an interview with Fox News, Boehler added, “We’ve had discussions about what the end might look like, and I can say Hamas is aiming for a long-term ceasefire. We discussed a cease-fire that includes Hamas disarming, staying out of politics, and ensuring they cannot harm Israel.” Addressing Iran, he said, “It’s not complicated for us to work with Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and that’s probably what we need to do.”
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Boehler did not rule out further meetings with Hamas and suggested that “something could happen regarding Gaza and the hostages within weeks,” without elaborating. He also speculated, “I think all the hostages could be released, not just the Americans.” Addressing Israeli frustration with U.S. negotiations with Hamas, Boehler said: “I understand why Israelis are upset, but we are the U.S. — we’re not Israel’s agents, and we have our own interests. Maybe I’ll meet them and say, ‘They don’t have horns growing out of their heads; they’re actually guys like us, nice guys.’” He added that the meetings with Hamas representatives “were approved by Trump and were very helpful in advancing the release of the hostages.”
Following widespread criticism, and possibly after receiving reprimands, Boehler issued a clarification on Twitter: “I want to be clear because some misunderstood — Hamas is a terrorist organization that has murdered thousands of innocent people. By definition, they are bad people. As President Trump said, no Hamas member will be safe if they don’t immediately release all the hostages.”
During the war, amid Lebanon’s rocket attacks and the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Boehler expressed hope that these developments would result in “Abraham Accords on steroids.” He added, “It’s hard to fight without arms or when your testicles have exploded. They also contributed to the Lebanese government by eliminating Hezbollah.” Later, he criticized then-President Joe Biden, who called for a cease-fire in Gaza, stating, “We need to remember who our allies are. They are not Hamas terrorists; they are Israel and the modern Arab states.”
In an opinion piece published in The Hill, Boehler called for a more aggressive approach to rescuing American hostages, including a military raid by U.S. commandos in Gaza. He wrote, “U.S. soldiers are more than skilled enough to carry out a rescue. American special forces have a strong track record of successfully penetrating enemy territory to free hostages. Those opposing U.S. military presence in Gaza should remember that a single, targeted operation is not the same as prolonged military involvement.”