The American Senate approved, Tuesday, October 7, The appointment of Bill Bazzi as an ambassador of the United States in TunisiE, as part of a series of diplomatic appointments submitted by President Donald Trump.
The newly named diplomat, Bill Bazzi, succeeds Joey R. Hood, in office since February 2023 in Tunis and will officially take office in the coming weeks. He had so far occupied the post of mayor of Dearborn Heights, in the state of Michigan, since January 2021.
Before that, he had been acting president of the municipal council of the same city from 2018, after a career marked by a strong community commitment.
This arrival comes in a context where Washington seeks to strengthen its cooperation with Tunis, especially in the fields of regional security, economic development and energy transition.
Bill Bazzi is a fervent support by Donald Trump. He posted his commitment from 2016 and 2020, before reaffirming his support for the 2024 campaign.
Originally from Lebanon, Bill Bazzi immigrated to the United States at the age of 10 and grew up in Dearborn, a city where the Arab-American community is strongly established. A graduate of Fordson High School, he engaged in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1999 to 2016, reaching the rank of Gunnery Sergeant and serving in the military police and the intelligence services.
In 2021, he became the first Arab-American and Muslim mayor of Dearborn Heights, a city marked by an increasing diversity but also by political tensions.