Journalism of Courage
Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most trusted allies and a key figure in shaping Israel’s wartime policy in Gaza, resigned on Wednesday after more than two years in office.
In his resignation letter, as per a reportin the New York Times, Dermer said he had promised his family he would serve for only two years but had extended his tenure to help Netanyahu steer Israel through what he called a “critical” period following the October 7 Hamas attack.
“This government will be defined both by the attack on October 7th and by the prosecution of the multifront war that followed,” Dermer wrote, referring to the assault that triggered the devastating conflict in Gaza.
His departure comes about a month after the last surviving hostages in Gaza were returned to Israel under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, and as the remains of most deceased captives have been recovered.
As one of Netanyahu’s closest advisers, the 54-year-old Dermer played a central role in negotiating the ceasefire with Hamas and in securing US backing for Israel’s coordinated strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the NYT report added. His influence extended across Israel’s war strategy, from the battlefield to diplomatic corridors.
As per the NYT report, supporters hail Dermer as a key architect of Israel’s recent ceasefire and its regional strategy, while critics accuse him of helping Netanyahu prolong the war to protect his political future.
The war in Gaza has claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health officials, and caused widespread destruction, displacement, and hunger. It has also drawn in Iran and its allies — Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed groups in Syria and the West Bank — turning the conflict into a broader regional confrontation.
In his resignation letter, Dermer thanked PM Netanyahu for his “trust” and praised his leadership: “Standing up to both internal and external pressures, you wisely navigated Israel through this war, standing firm to protect our vital interests when necessary and showing flexibility when those same vital interests required it.”
Dermer, who was born in Miami Beach, Florida, and moved to Israel after graduate school, previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Washington from 2013 to 2021. During that time, he worked closely with both Democratic and Republican administrations and forged strong ties with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East adviser, a relationship that continued as the two collaborated on recent ceasefire efforts.
After returning to Israel, Dermer joined Netanyahu’s cabinet in 2022 as minister of strategic affairs, overseeing diplomatic engagement with the Biden and later Trump administrations, as well as managing key international partnerships.
He has been part of Netanyahu’s inner circle since the early 2000s and was once dubbed “Bibi’s Brain” by Tablet magazine for his deep influence on the prime minister’s political strategy.
Dermer said he had not yet decided on his next steps. In a social media post, Netanyahu also thanked him for his “tremendous help” to Israel and expressed confidence that Dermer “has much more to contribute in the future.”
