Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan took on the additional role of ambassador to the US on Thursday, replacing Ron Dermer, who held the position for the past several years. To prepare for taking on the critical role, Erdan made several recent trips to Washington where he met with Dermer at the embassy and was briefed by the envoy as well as other members of the diplomatic corps, his aide said.
He was also in Israel last month where he held consultations with Netanyahu about the job. The envoy also met with various think tank scholars and heads of Jewish organizations in the US in recent months.
“Ron, thank you for everything you have done for the people of Israel and for everything you will do in the future,” Erdan tweeted Thursday, praising Dermer. “During your tenure, Israel-US ties reached new heights and amazing achievements.”
Erdan and his family are based in New York, where he moved in July for the UN post. He plans on spending several days a week in DC.
While he will be the first Israeli envoy since Abba Eban to serve as an ambassador both to the UN and to the US, his aide pointed out that Erdan has experience holding down two major offices at once, having recently served as public security minister and strategic affairs minister for five years.
