Image by getty images

Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, was reprimanded by an Israeli government commission for supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection bid.

In December, Dermer gave an interview to American Fusion Television, a network aimed at Hispanic Americans, in which he was asked about the upcoming Israeli elections in March. In response, Dermer, a close Netanyahu ally, said when Israelis “look at all the people that stand for the leadership of the country, that they will have confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” according to Haaretz.

Dermer, as a state employee, is forbidden from “promoting the interest of any particular party or candidate,” according to rules publicized earlier in December by Israel’s Civil Service Commission.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Left-wing Meretz lawmaker Issawi Freij sent a complaint to the commission regarding the interview, demanding disciplinary action. After discussing the incident with Dermer, the commission called it a “one-time mistake,” noted that the interview was not directed at an Israeli audience, and placed a disciplinary note in Dermer’s personnel file, according to Haaretz.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount