Ron Dermer, Israel’s former ambassador to the United States and a close political confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will serve as Strategic Affairs Minister in the new government that was sworn in on Thursday at the Knesset.

Dermer had been rumored to be a candidate for foreign minister. In the end, Netanyahu appointed Likud MK Eli Cohen to the position, which he announced alongside the announcement of Dermer’s appointment.

The former ambassador will sit in the security cabinet and help Netanyahu run Israel-US relations.

Earlier this year, Dermer, who played a central role in achieving the breakthrough Abraham Accords during his tenure as envoy to the US from 2013 to 2021, joined Jerusalem-based investment firm Exigent Capital Group as a partner.

Ron Dermer, Israel's Ambassador to the US speaks to members of the news media after meeting with then-President Elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US, November 17, 2016. (credit: REUTERS)
Ron Dermer, Israel's Ambassador to the US speaks to members of the news media after meeting with then-President Elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, US, November 17, 2016. (credit: REUTERS)
In his role, the new Strategic Affairs minister focused on deepening and broadening Exigent’s relationships with strategic partners around the world, building on the success of the accords to further develop partnerships in the Gulf region and expanding the firm’s activities to include a multi-family office and wealth management platform.