The death of Senator Lindsey Graham this weekend has deprived Israel of one of its most reliable and forthright allies in Washington.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Graham understood that “the security of Israel and America are inseparable,” adding: “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
President Isaac Herzog described the South Carolinian Republican as “a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the US-Israel partnership,” recalling how he stood beside Israelis during their most difficult moments.
There was more to these tributes than simply the death of a senior statesman. Graham’s friendship with Israel spanned decades and multiple administrations. It was expressed through legislation, military assistance, repeated visits, and a willingness to defend the Jewish state even when doing so became politically uncomfortable.
The archives of The Jerusalem Post offer a record of that public continuity.
Graham rejects the notion Israel can return to pre-’67 lines
During a visit to Israel with a congressional delegation in 2011, Graham rejected the notion that Israel could safely return to the pre-1967 lines. “From my point of view, I can never imagine an agreement that goes back to the ’67 boundaries because, in my view, those boundaries are indefensible,” he told the Post.
He also sought to reassure Israelis that support for their country remained deeply embedded in Congress. “The purpose of this trip is to try and reinforce, from my point of view, the unwavering support that the State of Israel has in Congress,” Graham said. “Quite frankly, Congress has Israel’s back.”
That would come to define much of Graham’s career. Graham himself was prepared to criticize Israeli policy, yet his starting point never changed: Israel was a democratic ally whose security was both morally important and strategically vital to the United States.
His support also translated into practical action. In 2009, Graham joined Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer to promote legislation intended to strengthen American opposition to commercial boycotts of Israel.
Graham was similarly unequivocal about the danger posed by Iran’s nuclear program. During another visit to Jerusalem with senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman in 2010, he supported maintaining military action as an option, should diplomacy and economic pressure fail.
Graham: ‘The Congress has been united in protection of one of our best allies in the world, the State of Israel’
He again emphasized the depth of congressional support for Israel. “Whatever relationship problems we have had in the past, it has never seeped over into Congress,” Graham said. “The Congress has been united in protection of one of our best allies in the world, the State of Israel.”
The senator also supported relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem, promoted security assistance, opposed attempts to isolate Israel at the United Nations, and backed measures targeting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
After the October 7 attacks, Graham was among Israel’s most forceful defenders. He visited during wartime and argued that the destruction unleashed by Hamas demonstrated why Israelis could not entrust their survival to promises from hostile actors or an indifferent international community. He was also quick to tie Hamas’s support to Iran. “Without the October 7 massacre happening, I don’t believe Iran would be on the verge of regime collapse,” Graham told the Post’s Amichai Stein in February.
Graham continued to believe that Israel’s long-term future required separation from the Palestinians. In an interview with the Post, he warned that a single state would either cease to be Jewish or leave millions of Palestinians permanently without political rights.
“To be pro-Israel, you need to be honest with Israel,” he said. “Being pro-Israel means telling hard truths.”
That was the deeper value of Graham’s friendship. His commitment was strong enough to withstand disagreement. Israel could trust that criticism came from someone invested in its survival, its democratic character, and its alliance with the United States.
American politics will produce other supporters of Israel. Few will arrive with Graham’s record of service, his personal warmth toward the country, or his instinctive understanding that alliances require attention, defense, and occasional candor.
The US has lost a senator who repeatedly assured Israelis that Congress had their back, and spent more than two decades proving that he meant it. Israel has lost a good friend.
Source:
www.jpost.com
