Netanyahu Wants Amb. Dermer to Stay On

Prime Minister Netanyahu is asking his ministers to extend Ambassador to US Ron Dermer's stint by just under two years, until September 30, 2018, in light of the political challenges faced by Israel in the US, Army Radio's Ilil Shahar tweeted Thursday.

ראש הממשלה מבקש מהשרים להאריך את כהונתו של רון דרמר כשגריר בוושינגטון עד 30.9.2018 לאור האתגרים המדיניים העומדים בפני ישראל בארה"ב. pic.twitter.com/zbwLwZtrBA

— ilil shahar (@ilils1) March 2, 2017

Dermer, 46, was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, the younger son of an Israeli mother and a New York-born father– who became mayor of Miami Beach in the late 1960s. Ron's brother, David Dermer, a Democrat, also served as mayor of Miami Beach.

Makor Rishon reported in late 2012 that Dermer's name was being floated as potential replacement for Ambassador Michael Oren, but the Embassy in Washington called the report "baseless." Then, in March 2013, Dermer left the Prime Minister's Office after four years as Netanyahu's senior adviser, and in July 2013 the Prime Minister's office announced Dermer's appointment to replace Oren as Israel's ambassador to the US.