Former minister Ron Dermer, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is in Washington and is expected to participate in Netanyahu's meetings with senior US administration officials, possibly including a meeting with President Donald Trump, according to Channel 14. The report said Netanyahu has restored Dermer to a more central role since the US-Iran MoU was signed, and would like to see him on the Likud list as a potential successor, but Dermer is reportedly less interested.
Ron Dermer, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States and a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently in Washington on Monday night and is expected to join Netanyahu's meetings with senior US administration officials, according to a report on Channel 14. The report, citing Amir Ivgi, said Dermer may also attend the meeting with President Donald Trump.
Dermer's presence in Washington marks a significant development. Since the signing of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) — which surprised Jerusalem and sidelined Israel from the diplomatic process — Netanyahu has reportedly restored Dermer to a more central advisory role, even if not officially. Dermer, who served as ambassador during Trump's first term, is widely seen as a key figure in shaping Israeli-US relations.
The report also noted that Netanyahu would like to see Dermer included on the Likud party list for the next Knesset and groomed as a potential successor, but that Dermer himself is reportedly less interested in that path.
The visit comes as Netanyahu holds a series of high-stakes meetings in Washington, with the Iran nuclear deal and regional security at the top of the agenda. As The Zioneer has previously reported, the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump has faced strain over the pace and terms of the emerging US-Iran agreement, with Israel seeking to ensure its security concerns are fully addressed.
2 developments
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Source and signal
- Open-source intake