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Israel | RON DERMER

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday appointed Ron Dermer, a close advisor with ties to Miami Beach, to be Israel's next ambassador to the United States. The long-anticipated pick had raised some concern in Washington because of Dermer's connections to Republicans.

Dermer, 42, has been Netanyahu's top diplomatic advisor for the past four years. He will replace Michael Oren, the outspoken and telegenic New Jersey-born historian who has served in Washington for four years. In an announcement Tuesday, Netanyahu said Dermer has 'all the necessarily characteristics to successfully fill this important role.'

Dermer, a neoconservative who once worked for Frank Luntz, a Republican consultant, was seen by some as questioning President Barack Obama's commitment to Israel during his first term, and of supporting Obama's GOP opponent, Mitt Romney, in last fall's presidential election. But since November, he has worked to repair his reputation in Washington and has won over many in the White House with the critical roles he played in negotiating a cease-fire after Israel's eight-day operation in the Gaza Strip, reconciling relations between Turkey and Israel and planning Obama's much-heralded March visit to Israel.

Now, several people close to the Obama administration said, any suspicions about Dermer's political leanings are outweighed by the benefit of having an ambassador in Netanyahu's inner circle. He is expected to start the job in the fall.

'If you have someone you know is well-connected to the prime minister, it means you can always use that channel, no matter how sensitive the message is, and understand it's going to be communicated the way you want it,' noted Dennis B. Ross, a former Middle East envoy who is now counselor to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 'It reduces the prospect of surprise, it reduces the prospect of misunderstanding - that's something that's highly desired.'

Dermer was raised in Miami Beach, where his father and brother both served as mayor. He likes to point out that they were Democrats, although the family also supported former President George W. Bush and his brother, former Gov. Jeb Bush. He has a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University.

His mother, Yaffa Dermer, who still lives in Miami Beach, said she is 'all for it' when asked about her son's new position. 'I'm excited. I think he'll do a wonderful job because he's a red-blooded American,' she said Tuesday. /'He told me he's going to visit me a lot.'

His mother, who was born and raised in Israel before moving to the U.S., said that Ron was constantly involved with Israel while growing up in their Miami Beach home, adding that he 'loves' the country.

Former U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, applauded the choice on Tuesday and described Dermer as a smart man who knows how essential the job is.

'It's great to have someone from Florida to take on this very central role of Israel's ambassador to the United States,' said Klein. 'It's exciting for someone from the United States and from our community to be represented with this opportunity.'

Israel | RON DERMER

Former Miami Beach resident Ron Dermer will become Israel's top diplomat in the United States.

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