JERUSALEM (AP) — One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest aides has resigned.

Dore Gold, the director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, cited personal reasons for Thursday's decision.

The American-born Gold has been one of Netanyahu's closest confidants for some 25 years. He served as Israel's ambassador to the U.N. during Netanyahu's first term in office in the 1990s, has often served as a semi-official adviser and joined the Foreign Ministry in 2015. With Netanyahu holding the foreign affairs portfolio, Gold has often served as a de facto foreign minister, helping forge closer ties with countries in Africa and the Arab world.

In a statement, Gold called the Foreign Ministry job the "high point" of his career and said he would continue to make himself available to help the prime minister.