Tag Archives: Ron Dermer

Reports: Netanyahu may tap Ron Dermer as next US envoy

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering nominating his American-born advisor Ron Dermer as Israel’s next envoy to the United States, Israeli media, citing a report by Israeli daily Makor Rishon, said Friday.

“On Friday morning, the diplomatic correspondent of Israeli daily Makor Rishon Ariel Kahan reported that Netanyahu is nominating his advisor Ron Dermer to the role,” Haaretz’s Ben Ravid wrote. “Dermer has served as Netanyahu’s advisor for the past four years. I asked the Prime Minister’s Office whether they can confirm the report, and received an expected and routine answer: ‘No comment.’”

The reports said that Israel’s envoy to the US Michael Oren is expected to step down in May after serving in the role for the past four years.

Update: However, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington told the Back Channel Sunday that the rumor Ambassador Oren has asked to step down in the spring is baseless. “Ambassador Oren …. is continuing in his positions as planned,” the spokesperson said. “No decision has been made regarding the next ambassador to the United States or the timing of appointing a new ambassador.”

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Romney to Israel

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GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney will travel to Israel later this summer, his campaign confirmed Monday.

On the visit, Romney will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu–a former associate of Romney’s at the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s. (Romney and Netanyahu both worked in the financial consulting world, before launching political careers; Romney after attending Harvard Business School, while Netanyahu attended MIT.) The former Massachusetts governor will also meet with US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro (who served as chief of Jewish outreach for the Obama campaign in 2008); Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Israeli President Shimon Peres, and members of Israel’s opposition Labor party, the New York Times reported. It will be Romney’s fourth trip to Israel.

“He’s a strong friend of Israel and we’ll be happy to meet with him,” Ron Dermer, a top Netanyahu advisor, told the New York Times’ Jodi Rudoren, who first broke news of the visit. “We value strong bipartisan support for Israel and we’re sure it will only deepen that.”

Then candidate Barack Obama similarly traveled to Israel during the 2008 presidential campaign. But some Israelis and American Jewish groups have expressed disappointment Obama has not yet traveled to Israel as President.

“There is a definite perception that the Jewish vote and the pro-Israel vote are in play this election cycle,” William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy of the Jewish Federations of North America, told Al Monitor in a statement Monday.

“By going to Israel, Governor Romney will be highlighting the fact that President Obama has not been to Israel as President, as well as emphasizing differences in how Romney says he would work with Israel generally, and Prime Minister Netanyahu specifically,” Daroff said. Continue reading →