In the Knesset plenum, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer on Wednesday responded to a question from MK Oded Forer (Israel Beitenu), denying that Israel had agreed to establish a Palestinian state as part of a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. “There is absolutely no promise regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he stated.
Dermer, 54, son of the late mayor of Miami Beach Jay Dermer, has been involved for a quarter century in Israeli politics, but he won’t be recognized on the street by most Israelis. In the Prime Minister’s Office, he is known as “the son Bibi would have liked to have,” and the two speak a lot – and only in English. He is currently the minister who makes more decisions than anyone else in Netanyahu’s cabinet, and he has never run for office nor been interviewed by Israeli media.
Even after assuming the role of minister in late 2022, Dermer appears to view himself more as Netanyahu’s personal advisor than as a public decision-maker. Over the 15 months since October 7, 2023, Dermer has participated in 570 meetings, conferences, and discussions with Netanyahu, alongside numerous government and cabinet sessions. This amounts to an average of nearly two meetings with the PM per working day.
Netanyahu’s confidant told the Knesset plenum on Wednesday: “For a while now, I’ve been hearing the need for an Israeli plan, and we’re actively working on it. I’m directly involved in shaping this strategy for the day after in Gaza.”
Dermer added, “Since it’s an Israeli initiative, we must align with both the United States and regional powers. I’m very optimistic that we can achieve effective management in Gaza post-conflict, fully in line with the Prime Minister’s framework. We’ll focus on action rather than words.”
“As for Lebanon, we have the capacity to address any violations decisively and will take the necessary steps to ensure the security of northern residents,” he stated confidently.
Since taking office as a minister, Dermer has made only a handful of appearances to report on his activities to Knesset committees, primarily the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. On these rare occasions, the discussions were classified, leaving no public record of his Knesset engagements.
Dermer also maintains a notably low profile on social media and in the media at large. Unlike other ministers and politicians, he does not share updates through videos, respond to current events, or engage directly with the public. Additionally, he avoids interviews with Israeli media outlets altogether, despite his extensive prior experience in public roles, including serving as Israeli ambassador and economic envoy to the United States for over a decade.
