Ben Carson recently visited Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and will travel to multiple locations in Africa later this month. | AP Photo Netanyahu’s former chief of staff joins Carson campaign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former chief of staff is joining Ben Carson’s campaign as a foreign policy adviser.

According to a statement released Tuesday, George Birnbaum “will work with Dr. Carson to present bold strategies to bolster America’s presence in the world and confront the challenges facing the country in 2016 and beyond.”


“His work with three different Israeli Prime Ministers (Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon) has given [Birnbaum] tremendous insight into Middle Eastern affairs, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and counter-terrorism policies,” the statement said.

The announcement comes as the retired neurosurgeon has tried to bolster his foreign policy credentials after a series of gaffes.

Carson recently visited Syrian refugee camps in Jordan and will travel to multiple locations in Africa later this month.