Israelis need someone to trust. He could be that person – but only if he chooses to be.
For most of his career, Ron Dermer has worked behind closed doors. A former ambassador to the US, Dermer built his reputation as one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most trusted allies – disciplined, effective, and discreet. He was never one for photo ops or front-page headlines. Instead, he played the long game, building ties in Washington, shaping policy from within, and defending Israel on American television screens, not in the Knesset or Israeli living rooms.
But since October 7, that playbook no longer works.
Dermer is now the strategic affairs minister and, since early 2025, the government’s chief negotiator tasked with bringing home the hostages in Gaza. That makes him one of the most powerful figures in the country – and one of the most invisible.
While his name is now etched into the fabric of every negotiation, most Israelis don’t know who Dermer really is, and that’s part of the problem. The man who could be a source of reassurance, strength, and clarity has chosen silence. He does not speak to the Israeli press. He does not brief the public. For months, he didn’t even meet with a single hostage family, according to a March report by Channel 12. When pressed, Dermer’s office said he had met with four families “in recent weeks,” but declined to say which ones.
Compare that to the urgency on the streets – the tent encampments outside the Knesset, the marches across the country, and the protesters now regularly camped outside Dermer’s home in Jerusalem, holding signs with photos of their loved ones and demanding answers. One such protest, held Sunday, featured banners reading “Still Alive, Still Waiting” and “Resume negotiations or resign.”
Dermer, who spent years honing relationships with Washington insiders, now finds himself at the center of a national trauma. But instead of stepping forward, he appears to be retreating further into the role of silent strategist. That may work in Washington. It does not work in Israel – not now, not during war.
Decisive role in securing a deal
Last year, according to reports, Dermer told families of American-Israeli hostages to “go to America” and lobby the administration directly. According to one relative who was present, Dermer said: “Talk to the [US] administration. That has a much better chance of making something happen than talking to us.” He later defended the comment, saying he merely encouraged families to apply “joint diplomatic pressure.”
Even after being appointed chief negotiator, Dermer continued to keep hostage families at arm’s length. Former IDF chief of staff and war cabinet observer Gadi Eisenkot criticized the arrangement on national television, saying: “Dermer isn’t functioning. He needs to be replaced. We need someone on this 24/7, not holding a discussion once every two weeks.”
The frustration is shared across the war cabinet and security establishment. Leaked transcripts from an internal meeting in August 2024 reveal then-defense minister Yoav Gallant confronting Netanyahu over the government’s insistence on holding the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza rather than focusing on a hostage deal. Gallant reportedly shouted, “There are people alive there!” to which Dermer, backing Netanyahu, replied: “The prime minister can do what he wants.”
That quote may say more about Dermer’s style than anything else. Loyal to Netanyahu, measured in tone, and faithful to the strategy. But what Israelis need now is a leader they can trust. One who will show up, who will meet the families, who will look the nation in the eye and explain what is being done to bring their people home.
Dermer has the intelligence, experience, and international standing to play a decisive role in securing a deal. He has the full confidence of the prime minister and the ear of Washington. But none of that matters if the public continues to see him as a ghost – a figure of power who remains cloaked in silence.
This is his moment to change that.
Dermer must step out from the shadows. Not for show. Not for spin. But to meet the people he now represents. He must hold briefings, speak to Israeli media, sit with every family who asks, and explain what is being done – and what isn’t. He must make himself present.
Mr. Dermer, the country is waiting.
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