Navigate to News section

Ron Dermer Reportedly Named Ambassador Again

For the second time in a year, it’s being denied again too

by
Adam Chandler
June 28, 2013
(Flash90)
(Flash90)

The universe is apparently anxious to name Ron Dermer as Michael Oren’s successor for the vaunted post of Israeli ambassador to the United States. Back in late December, the Israeli daily Makor Rishon reported that Dermer would be named. After it was widely reported, the Israeli embassy said not so fast, describe the reports as baseless.

At the time, some saw the report as something of a trial balloon, while others read into the fact that U.S. President Barack Obama had just been re-elected and Dermer–who worked on the Republican Revolution of 1994–was closely associated with the Romney campaign.

Following this morning’s report, Noah Pollak of the Emergency Committee for Israel led the charge to deny the report:

No decision has been made on appointing Dermer ambassador to U.S., my sources say. This story false: http://t.co/tU7C39sHCh



— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) June 28, 2013

Last year Allison Hoffman profiled Dermer for Tablet, outlining his role as a close adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thusly:

Dermer’s title is senior adviser to the prime minister, and he’s a jack-of-all-trades—strategist, pollster, and speechwriter for Netanyahu, as well as his chief proxy in foreign affairs. A constant presence in Netanyahu’s meetings in Washington, he has helped shape Israel’s posture in the American capital most notably through Netanyahu’s spring speech to the U.S. Congress, which foiled President Barack Obama’s effort to pressure the prime minister into meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians. “Bibi doesn’t move an inch without talking to him,” said one person who has been in meetings with both men.

Check back with us in December.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.