Ron Dermer. Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90.

Ron Dermer

Israeli Ambassador to the United States

Few Israeli diplomatic posts are as sensitive or as sought after as the Ambassador in Washington. The current incumbent, Ron Dermer, is known for his close relationships with American Jewish leaders and his willingness to speak plainly, even when bilateral relations are strained. Commenting on the recent controversy over the speaking invitation extended by Congress to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Dermer emphasized that the heart of the matter was not about diplomatic protocol, nor the allegation that Israel is “interfering” in American domestic politics. At stake, he said, is “an existential issue facing the one and only Jewish state” – Iran’s nuclear ambitions which, he added poignantly, Netanyahu has a “sacred duty” to confront.