Another American of Palestinian descent appointed in Biden Administration
Washington has announced the appointment of Maher Bitar to senior director for intelligence in President Joe Biden’s National Security Council.
President Obama exchanges a wave with Alya Dorelien Bitar, one-year-old daughter of Maher Bitar, the outgoing National Security Council Director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, and his wife, Astrid Dorelien, during a family photo in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, September, 2015)
He will oversee the stream of information between the White House and US intelligence agencies.
Bitar previously served as the director for Israeli-Palestinian affairs on the National Security Council under former President Barack Obama.
A series of recent appointments made by Biden indicates, in the opinion of Palestinian sources, a favourable policy towards the Palestinian issue. After announcing the appointment of Reema Dodin, a Jordanian of Palestinian descent, to the position of Deputy Head of the Department of Legislation at the White House, the President of the US appointed California-born Dana Shubat as a Legislative Affairs Strategic Coordination Lead, making her the second Arab-American among Biden’s new team at the White House.
The PA is awaiting the next line of appointments to the US State Department.
A Palestinian source reports that messages were passed from Biden’s staff to the Palestinians through a Palestinian billionaire living in Washington in recent months and were initiated by a US diplomat of Lebanese descent, Hady Amr.
Amr, who is married to a Palestinian woman, was a member of Martin Indyk’s staff, held a number of positions in Barack Obama’s administration, and is considered to have promoted the idea of alliances with Islamic elements in the Arab world.
The Palestinian source says that Amr is responsible for the messages conveyed to Abu Mazen that the renewal of the Palestinian leadership’s legitimacy through the elections will greatly facilitate the creation of a positive relationship with the new US administration.
“Amr is also responsible for the fact that Abu Mazen has recently embarked on a series of structural reforms and measures that will prove that he is also fighting corruption at the top of the Palestinian Authority,” the Palestinian source said.
The Authority is awaiting a decision on the opening of the consulate in eastern Jerusalem and has confirmed to TPS that a special office for Palestinian affairs in the US State Department is also being considered and that the Authority has learned that one of the candidates for this position is Amr.
Amr has for the time being refused to comment on the TPS agency’s questions in this matter.
