ISRAEL
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to extend the tenure of his controversial Ambassador to the United States despite the Civil Service Commissioner rejecting the request.
Mr Ntanyahu considers the Ambassador, Ron Dermer (pictured) a confidant and a trusted connection to the White House.
A senior member of the Opposition Blue and White Party, Yair Lapid immediately hit back, saying Mr Dermer “is almost certainly the most damaging Ambassador ever for ties between Israel and the United States”.
He said Mr Dermer was shunned by the Democratic Party in the US.
“American Jewry doesn’t want to talk to him; aside from the Republicans, no one wants to talk to him,” Mr Lapid said.
“I call on the Attorney-General to not approve extending his term.”
He said if his party wins the 17 September election, Mr Dermer would not continue in his position.
“Dermer is not an ambassador, he is a political messenger for Netanyahu,” Mr Lapid said.
Mr Dermer is set to wrap up his stint in Washington at the end of September after serving six years as Israel’s envoy to the US.
During the Administration of President Barack Obama, he was a vociferous opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, signed in 2015.
Mr Dermer also orchestrated Mr Netanyahu’s backdoor invitation to address Congress when the Prime Minister lambasted the Iran accord — a moment that is widely regarded as stoking a partisan divide on Israel in Washington.
Earlier this year, Mr Dermer told a meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that Mr Netanyahu’s speech that day was the “proudest day that I’ve had as Ambassador of Israel to the United States”.
Jerusalem, 22 July 2019
