UN envoy Erdan becomes Israeli ambassador to the United States
Former public security minister replaces Ron Dermer, who held the position for past seven years.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Gilad Erdan will now take on the additional role of Ambassador to the United States, replacing Ron Dermer, who held the post for the past seven years.
Erdan takes office at a particularly sensitive time for bilateral relations between Israel and the United States, which will be sorely tested under the new administration of US President Joe Biden, having arguably reached their peak under the ousted former President Donald Trump.
Dermer, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's longtime adviser, played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization deals with Arab states in the last few months of the Trump administration.
With his assumption of office, Erdan will be responsible for improving relations with Democrat lawmakers, while continuing to represent a government that may quickly find itself at odds with Washington on the question of Iran.
Indeed, Netanyahu and Dermer's detractors have criticized them for having privileged relations with the Republican Party, and in particular Trump. It was certainly a more fruitful relationship after several years of tension and intense disagreements with Barack Obama's Democratic administration, particularly for his promotion of the Iran Nuclear Deal.
In May, Netanyahu appointed former Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Danny Danon, as well as Ambassador of the Jewish state to the United States.