Ron Dermer, the longtime confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who left his post as strategic affairs minister last year, was named on Monday as the recipient of a Special Recognition Award by Nefesh b’Nefesh, an organization that facilitates immigration to Israel.

The Bonei Zion Prize is given annually to immigrants from English-speaking countries who have made significant contributions to the state.

In addition to a special recognition and a lifetime achievement award, the prize is awarded for special contributions in the nonprofit, science, education, culture, global impact, and young leadership realms.

The US-born Dermer was Israel’s ambassador to the US from 2013 to 2021 and was a key negotiator of the Abraham Accords, which saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco normalize relations with Israel in 2020.

He served as strategic affairs minister during most of the war in Gaza, leading negotiations to return the hostages held by terror groups in the Strip as well as talks over the buffer zone with Syria. He resigned last November and has since served as a special envoy for Netanyahu in a private capacity.

Dermer’s “decades of public service reflect the transformative impact of Olim on Israel and the Jewish world,” Nefesh b’Nefesh said in a statement, referring to Jews from abroad who immigrate to Israel under the Law of........

© The Times of Israel