A top confidant to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who played a leading role in Jerusalem’s October ceasefire negotiations team, resigned from his ministerial post.
The U.S.-born Ron Dermer began serving as Israeli minister of strategic affairs in December 2022, a position in which he became highly influential in crafting Netanyahu’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack. In his resignation letter, he expressed pride in his role and said he was leaving due to familial commitments, rather than any political disagreements.
Dermer said he originally committed to only serve for two years, but had extended his stay with his family’s blessing to “remove the existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear military capabilities” and then to negotiate the October ceasefire deal.
“This war — both on the battlefield and in the international arena — is a defining moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” Dermer wrote to Netanyahu. “This government has faced immense challenges since the October attacks and throughout the war against Hamas and Iran’s proxies. Yet we have seen Israel’s strength, unity, and resilience as the Jewish people once again stood in defense of their land and destiny.”
In his public statement of resignation, he presented his tenure as a defining moment for Israel and the Jewish people and himself as the defender of a long legacy.
“For over 100 generations, Jews dreamed of living as a free people in their own land. Four generations ago, that dream began to take shape — and I was blessed to live in the era when it was realized. With all my heart, I dedicated myself to serving the State of Israel and will continue to do so, each in my own way, as part of the unbreakable chain of the Jewish people,” Dermer wrote.
“As I conclude my role, I do so with humility — knowing that I could not have wished for a more meaningful time to serve my country. Many of the fallen heroes of this war died defending Israel and the Jewish people from annihilation. Their heroism has rekindled the spirit of unity that has always carried Israel through the darkest of times,” he added.
Dermer is widely viewed as Netanyahu’s closest adviser, the Times of Israel reported, being trusted with issues of top importance such as hostage negotiations, Israel’s relationship with the United States, and its relations with its Arab neighbors.
Given his role, Dermer was the central Israeli figure in the negotiations with Hamas and the U.S. to bring the war in Gaza to a close and return the last remaining hostages.
Before his role as Minister of Strategic Affairs, Dermer served as Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2013 to 2021, during which he increasingly aligned Israel with the Republican Party.
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Although he has left the Israeli government, he’s set to remain influential in diplomacy and as a special envoy for Netanyahu. One source familiar with the matter likened his new role to that of Jared Kushner in the U.S., the Times of Israel reported.
His departure coincides with a period of crisis for Netanyahu’s government as the period of grace granted by the opposition dissipates with the end of hostilities.