Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants and a key architect of Israel’s foreign policy strategy, has officially resigned from the government.

Dermer, a U.S.-born diplomat often described as Netanyahu’s “foreign policy brain,” submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday, confirming reports from The Times of Israel that he planned to step down this week. While leaving the cabinet, Dermer will remain involved in select strategic efforts — most notably, advancing the Abraham Accords and acting as a special envoy to Netanyahu.

In his resignation letter, Dermer said he had promised his family when joining the government in December 2022 that his service would last two years. That commitment, he wrote, had already been extended twice with his family’s blessing: “The first time to work with you [Netanyahu] to remove the existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear military capabilities and the second time to end the war in Gaza on the terms set by Israel and to bring our hostages home.”

Dermer thanked Netanyahu for the opportunity to serve, adding pointedly: “This government will be remembered both for the October 7 attack and for its management of the two-year, seven-front war that followed.”

He concluded on a personal note: “What the future holds for me I do not know, but one thing I know for sure: in everything I do, I will continue to do my part to secure the future of the Jewish people.”

Dermer’s departure marks a significant loss for Netanyahu’s inner circle. A trusted ally since the early 2000s, Dermer has been central to managing Israel’s relationships with Washington and Arab capitals alike. During his tenure as Strategic Affairs Minister, he played a quiet but pivotal role in hostage negotiations during the Gaza war, coordinated messaging between Jerusalem and the White House, and helped preserve the fragile framework of normalization with Arab states.

The U.S.-Israel relationship, especially in the volatile months following October 7, often ran through Dermer. Fluent in American political language and media, he served as an intermediary during tense exchanges between the Biden and Trump administrations and Israeli defense officials.

With Dermer stepping back, many of his responsibilities — particularly those related to the Trump administration and bilateral diplomacy — will now shift to Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States. Leiter, a veteran diplomat and policy strategist, will remain in Washington but take on expanded duties related to U.S.-Israel coordination.

Sources familiar with the matter say Dermer’s resignation does not mark a full departure from public service. Instead, he will continue to advise Netanyahu on key foreign policy issues and act as a special envoy, similar to the informal but influential role Jared Kushner plays in the Trump presidency.

One official likened Dermer’s future role to “Kushner without the title — continuing to shape normalization policy and strategic diplomacy from outside the formal government structure.”

For years, Dermer has been Netanyahu’s go-to strategist on everything from Iran policy to U.S. political outreach. A former Israeli ambassador to Washington (2013–2021), Dermer was instrumental in orchestrating Netanyahu’s 2015 speech to the U.S. Congress against the Iran nuclear deal and later played a behind-the-scenes role in negotiating the Abraham Accords under the Trump administration.

Now, as he transitions out of government, Dermer’s influence may become more discreet — but no less consequential. His continued role as a backchannel diplomat for Netanyahu ensures that even outside the cabinet, he remains part of the Prime Minister’s strategic core.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)