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Jan. 11, 2013
Top advisor may get bump
PM considering Ron Dermer for Israel ambassador.
ALEX TRAIMAN JNS
Rumors recently began to circulate that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu may appoint his senior advisor, Ron Dermer, as Israel’s next ambassador to the United States.
Dermer’s appointment is currently being denied by Israel’s embassy and the prime minister’s office has refused comment, but insiders suggest that the appointment – while not definite – is a serious possibility.
If Dermer is appointed, he will be Israel’s second consecutive American-born ambassador to the United States. Now an Israeli citizen, Dermer was born in Miami, and both his father and brother served as mayors of Miami Beach.
Michael Oren, the current ambassador and the first in Israeli history who was born in the United States, is set to conclude his four-year stint in the spring, shortly after Israel’s Jan. 22 national elections. Oren is generally considered to be a well-respected ambassador who has had to navigate a sometimes-bumpy relationship between Israel and the United States, and he has often represented the state of Israel both on American television and in top American newspapers’ op-ed pages.
The selection of another native English speaker to one of Israel’s top diplomatic posts would indicate a continued strategic shift in the way the country conducts relations with the U.S. government, the broader Jewish community and the general public. To that end, Lenny Ben-David – who served as deputy chief of mission at Israel’s embassy in Washington, D.C., from 1997 to 2000 – said the Jewish state’s criteria for selecting an ambassador has changed over the years.
“For years, the ambassador was picked for his or her diplomatic skills, or even as political payoff,” Ben-David explained. “Today, it is important for the ambassador to look good on television, and to navigate the political waters of Washington, D.C.”
Prior to his appointment as Netanyahu’s top advisor, Dermer served as Israel’s economic attaché in Washington, a post for which he had to forfeit his American citizenship.
Many political commentators have noted that rumors of Dermer’s appointment may be a trial balloon, to test the viability of such an appointment both within Israeli and American political circles.
“In addition to their qualifications, several different considerations must be taken into account before an ambassador is selected,” said Mitchell Barak, political pollster and director of Keevoon Research. “Officially, the ambassador must report to the foreign minister. If Netanyahu’s Likud party holds the Foreign Ministry following the next election, a Dermer appointment may be likely. However, if another party holds the Foreign Ministry portfolio in the next coalition government, appointing someone so close to the prime minister may cause political friction.
“If Tzipi Livni (HaTnuah) or Shelly Yacimovich (Labor), for example, becomes Israel’s next foreign minister, it is extremely unlikely that Dermer will serve as ambassador, even though he is an extremely capable and qualified candidate,” he explained.
For many Israelis, managing the relationship with the United States is considered one of Israel’s paramount foreign responsibilities, and the quality of the relationship is often a tool for measuring the effectiveness of the prime minister.
“It can be very useful to have someone who is a confidante to the prime minister as ambassador to the United States,” Ben-David said.
Such a distinction could increase the effectiveness of an ambassador in strengthening Israel’s embassy as the primary channel for bilateral communication. Senior officials in the United States would understand that they are speaking to someone with an intimate grasp of the prime minister’s thinking and policymaking.
Netanyahu, who is often known for his speeches – including those on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office and at the United Nations – has been delivering addresses written by Dermer.
As senior advisor to the prime minister for four years, Dermer is widely considered to be the chief strategist behind Israel’s bilateral relations with the United States.
With the strategic threats facing Israel, including Iran’s nuclear program, a Muslim Brotherhood-run Egyptian government, civil war in Syria, and internal clashes between Fatah and Hamas, maintaining a strong relationship with the United States – Israel’s primary military supplier and diplomatic supporter – could prove critical.
Some tension between Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama was apparent during the two leaders’ first terms. With Dermer in Washington, it may be more likely that the two administrations could avoid miscommunication, even when not in full agreement. Navigating the relationship may be the toughest diplomatic challenge of the next term, and appointing Dermer may be an indication of how seriously Netanyahu takes the challenge, as he would be losing his senior advisor to fill the post.
While Dermer may or may not get the appointment, insiders believe he is certainly worthy of consideration.
“Ambassador Oren is extremely eloquent, and Dermer is equally eloquent,” Ben-David said. “Rumors of his possible appointment already started floating over a year ago.”
Alex Traiman is a writer and the director of the documentary film Iraniaum. This story originally appeared on JNS.org.
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