Israeli Official in Charge of Negotiations with Syria Resigns

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who was responsible for negotiations with Syria, announced his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, according to a statement released Tuesday evening.

In a letter addressed to Netanyahu, Dermer wrote:

“I have decided that it is time to end my mission, out of a personal conviction that change is necessary, to devote more time to my family, and to begin a new phase in public life.”

He added that his resignation was submitted under Article 22(A) of the Government Law, noting that he had extended his term twice — first, to help “eliminate the existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” and second, “to end the war in Gaza on Israel’s terms and bring the hostages home.”

The newspaper Israel Hayom quoted a government source as saying that Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, had decided to resign ahead of the upcoming elections, adding that he began considering ending his political career after what he described as the “end of the Iranian nuclear threat.”