Netanyahu recalls final talk with Sen. Lindsey Graham

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday recounted a final conversation in which he said the late Senator Lindsey Graham vehemently opposed his proposal to eventually phase out U.S. military aid to Israel, highlighting the depth of the senator's support just one day after Graham's sudden death. The South Carolina Republican, a leading foreign policy voice, died on the evening of July 11 at the age of 71 following what his office described as a brief and sudden illness.

Netanyahu, appearing on a television news program, said he had told Graham that Israel, with its robust economy, could become self-sufficient and proposed reducing U.S. military support to zero over a number of years. He claimed Graham reacted strongly. "He went ballistic," Netanyahu said. "He said, 'No way, you can't do that!'" Netanyahu characterized the senator's stance as driven by a belief that Israeli and American security were inseparable, calling Graham an "extraordinary friend."

This account, however, contrasts with Graham's own public statements from January 2026. At that time, the senator wrote on social media that he supported the idea of ending aid and believed it should be done more...