Call to the flag: Netanyahu continues to pressure Deri to get a portfolio in Likud

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to pressure former minister Ron Dermer to return to politics and join the Likud party, but Dermer is currently refusing, and the chances are slim. Dermer, who resigned in November 2025, remains in contact with the Prime Minister's Office and assisted in preparations for the meeting with Trump.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to try to convince former minister Ron Dermer to return to political life and join the Likud list for the next Knesset. Despite the pressure, at this stage Dermer is not interested in returning to public life, and the assessment is that the chances he will agree to join the list are slim. Dermer, considered one of Netanyahu's closest and most influential people, left the government in November 2025 after serving as Minister of Strategic Affairs and leading sensitive diplomatic negotiations. After his resignation, he moved to the private sector but did not sever ties with the Prime Minister's Office. In the political system, he is described as "called up for reserve duty" when needed diplomatically; last week he participated in preparation meetings for the meeting with US President Donald Trump. In his resignation letter, Dermer explained that he had committed to his family to serve only two years, and extended his tenure twice: once to remove the Iranian nuclear threat, and a second time to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages. He thanked Netanyahu for the opportunity to serve alongside him over the past three years.