Maher Bitar joined Biden’s administration to serve as Senior Director for Intelligence Programs at the National Security Council (NSC).
Bitar’s appointment marks his return to the NSC after serving as a director within the council under former President Obama. He joins several other prominent politicians in Biden’s administration, including Reema Dodin and Lina Khan.
Maher Bitar’s White House experience
Prior to his Biden administration appointment, Bitar served the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency. He was Director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs on the White House National Security Council Staff. Bitar also worked for former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power as a deputy.
Since 2017, Bitar has assisted the Democratic members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) as general counsel.
Previously, Bitar worked for U.S. Representative Adam Schiff. As Schiff’s top legal advisor and representative, Bitar was involved in former President Trump’s first impeachment. He also served the Department of State as Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.
Bitar first worked in the White House as a student trainee in 2011. After that, he worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. In 2007 he also researched as an intern with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jerusalem.
Maher Bitar earned a prestigious education
Bitar earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law School in 2012. He is a member of the Maryland Bar Association. He earned his Master’s in Forced Migration from the Refugee Studies Center at Oxford University while on a Marshall Scholarship. In 2006, Bitar graduated from Georgetown’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service with a degree in International Politics.
Bitar is married to Astrid Dorelien and has a daughter Alya Dorelien Bitar. He is Palestinian-American.
Biden appointed Bitar NSC Senior Director
President Biden appointed Bitar Senior Director of the NSC’s Intelligence Programs in January 22, 2021. Bitar succeeds former Republican government official and attorney Michael Ellis.
As a Senior Director at the National Security Council, Bitar coordinates between the intelligence community and the White House. He also serves as a principal advisor to the President, the NSC, and the Homeland Security Council. The Director of National Intelligence also oversees the council’s budget while managing foreign, military, and domestic intelligence.
