'Israel’s' Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer resigns

'Israel’s' Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, a key figure in wartime negotiations and one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest allies, announced his resignation on Tuesday, ending a tenure that began in late 2022.

Dermer, who previously served as 'Israel’s' ambassador to Washington, was central in shaping 'Israel’s' diplomatic strategy during the Gaza war and in ceasefire discussions with US and Arab officials. His resignation follows weeks of media speculation about his plans to step down.

"I am writing to inform you of my decision to end my position as minister for strategic affairs," Dermer said in a two-page letter to Netanyahu released to the press.

The US-born minister said he had initially agreed to a two-year term when he accepted the role in December 2022 but twice extended his service, first to help Netanyahu “remove the existential threat of Iran’s military nuclear capability,” and again to assist in negotiating the Gaza ceasefire and the return of 'Israeli' captives.

“What I am to expect in the future I don’t know,” he wrote, “but one thing I know for sure: In all that I will do, I will continue to do my part to secure the future of the Jewish people.”

Dermer’s close ties with Washington have long made him a key player in 'Israel’s' foreign policy. However, during his ambassadorship from 2013 to 2021, overlapping with Donald Trump’s presidency, he was seen by many Democrats as leaning too close to Republicans, straining 'Israel’s' traditionally bipartisan support in the US.