Lindsey Graham Dies, Israel Loses Its Strongest Ally in Washington
The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham has robbed Israel of one of its rarest friends in Washington, a loyal supporter and a highly influential political figure. His departure comes amid growing factions within both the Republican and Democratic parties that are beginning to turn against the country.
The South Carolina senator was one of Israel’s most effective advocates in Washington. He leaves behind a legacy of a bilateral relationship that is now fraying, even nearly severed, amid controversy over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip and tensions with Iran.
“This could be described as a changing of the guard,” said Jonathan Rynhold, a political scientist at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. “It is difficult to imagine anyone else on the Republican side who carries his political weight.”
Graham, who will be honoured at a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday (28/7) local time, served as the primary communication channel between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Graham helped convince Trump to strike Iran last February, including coaching Netanyahu on how to lobby the president to take military action.
Netanyahu is expected to attend the funeral and meet with Trump. The meeting is considered a victory for the prime minister after weeks of lobbying for face time at the White House.
The senator, who was 71 at the time of his death, was the first person Netanyahu would call if he had questions regarding US-Israel relations. Graham made at least 10 trips to Israel and the surrounding region since the 7 October 2023 attack.
Graham’s death occurs as support for Israel begins to fade among Democrats and increasingly grows among Republicans in the post-Gaza war era. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the US, described Graham as part of a fading generation of legislators—those who grew up with the collective memory of the Holocaust and Israel’s early struggles against its Arab neighbours in 1967 and 1973.
“Lindsey was a product of his time,” Oren said. Conversely, the younger generation in the US today is more shaped by the destruction in Gaza, settler violence in the West Bank, and the deepening occupation of territory.
The decline in support also extends to young Evangelical Christian groups. Data shows that among white evangelicals under the age of 50, 50 per cent now view Israel negatively. This is a major concern for the Israeli prime minister’s office, which has cultivated close ties with this group for years.
Within the Democratic Party, figures like Rahm Emanuel have begun voicing support for ending unconditional military aid and imposing sanctions on companies that support settlement construction in the West Bank. Meanwhile, on the right wing, the isolationist-leaning MAGA movement is beginning to show anti-Israel sentiment through figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.
“He was a symptom of a different era of relations,” said Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis, a senior lecturer in international relations at Tel Aviv University. “The trajectory we are on now is the shrinking of the centre of unconditional support for Israel in both parties.”