Setback for Netanyahu: Maariv says Dermer poised to resign from Israeli government

The Hebrew-language Maariv newspaper said on Friday that Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer intends to resign from his post and withdraw from politics.

According to the paper, Dermer is very close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It said the report comes after months of speculation about his future and at the end of a turbulent period in which he was a key partner in some of the most sensitive diplomatic negotiations, notably efforts to secure the release of hostages from Gaza.

Dermer, the former Israeli ambassador to Washington, was for years viewed as a central figure in relations with the White House during Donald Trump’s administration.

The paper says, however, that public criticism of Dermer has grown in recent months, particularly after his appointment as head of the negotiating team for the release of hostages — a move that drew sharp criticism, especially from the media — and that families of the Israeli hostages accused him of not meeting with them or engaging in direct dialogue.

According to informed sources, Dermer decided to resign before the Knesset elections but has not set a definite date for his departure.

Close associates said his resignation is a personal decision and not politically motivated, while others said Dermer believes he has completed one of the main tasks for which he joined the government — containing the Iranian nuclear threat — a mission largely accomplished and that it is time to step down.

Dermer appears likely to remain in his post for a short period to oversee political developments ahead of his exit from the Israeli government, Maariv added.

Dermer’s expected departure is seen as a political blow to Netanyahu, who is poised to lose one of his closest advisers, a figure who stood by him through years of election campaigns, international crises and clashes with various U.S. administrations.

The decision by Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister marks a significant shift: the man long regarded as Netanyahu’s behind-the-scenes mastermind, right-hand and close confidant wants to step away from the political arena — at least for now.

Israel’s political establishment estimates that Dermer’s resignation could affect the work of Netanyahu’s political team and channels of communication with Washington; Netanyahu’s office declined to comment.