H.E. Gabriel Issa

Ambassador Gabriel Issa is the Ambassador of Lebanon to the United States of America. He presented his letters of credence to President Donald J. Trump on January 24, 2018.

Prior to his appointment by President General Michel Aoun, Ambassador Issa lived in Michigan where he owned multiple businesses in the Automotive Publishing Industry, Real Estate Development, Oil retail and Internet Auction platforms.

A long-term believer in the strong relations between Lebanon and the United States and the solid bond between their peoples, Ambassador Issa co-founded the Lebanese American Council for Democracy in 1989, an organization that advocates for Lebanese causes in the United States. He also served as a board member of the American Lebanese Foundation, promoting the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese American Community.

Ambassador Issa brings a long history of experience in Lebanese- American relations to his position as Lebanon’s representative to the United States; He played a key role in advocating Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence through the relationships that he forged with members of Congress and Government officials and through his persistent efforts and support in the passing of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration ACT (SALSRA) in December 2003. In 2005, Ambassador Issa represented General Michel Aoun as an envoy to Syria, to negotiate the peaceful withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

Ambassador Issa was born in Lebanon in 1957 and has a B.A. in Civil Engineering from the Detroit Institute of Technology. He is married to Bernadette Issa and has four children, Jerome, Natalie, Christine and Alexander.