Few American politicians stood with Israel as consistently or as unapologetically as US Senator Lindsey Graham. And so news of his sudden death from an apparent heart attack on Saturday was met with shock and grief across the Jewish state.
Graham visited the Jewish state no fewer than five times in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion, and led determined efforts across two administrations to secure unwavering and unconditional American support for Israel in her hour of need.
The Republican senator from South Carolina was among but a handful of American leaders to publicly recognize and acknowledge the Israeli-Arab conflict as a “religious war.” A devout Southern Baptist, Graham attributed his love for Israel to his Christian faith. He regularly referred to Israel as “God’s Chosen People,” telling fellow Christians that the choice to stand with the Jewish nation was not a difficult one.
Recently, he warned his own country that “if we pull the plug on Israel, God pulls the plug on us.”
Lindsey Graham: “To the people in my party: I’m tired of this crap. Israel is our friend. It’s not a hard choice if you’re an American. It’s not a hard choice if you’re a Christian. If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us.” pic.twitter.com/WsHxxYjDM1
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 13, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a close friend of Graham’s and took the news as a blow both to the nation and to himself personally.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” said the Israeli leader.
“May his values and initiatives continue to guide us toward victory and peace, and may his memory forever be a blessing,” Netanyahu continued.
Sara and I grieve with the American people over the loss of our dear friend, Senator Lindsey Graham.
In our recent meeting, I said, “Lindsey is a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine. We have no better friend than Lindsey.”
Lindsey understood that the security… pic.twitter.com/JG2mUUAfFT
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 12, 2026
President Isaac Herzog echoed the sentiment, calling Graham a “beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the US-Israel partnership.”
“We will never forget how he stood by the people of Israel in our most difficult moments, and we will remain eternally grateful for his sense of justice, truth, and loyalty,” Herzog added. “The people of Israel mourn his loss, and I will miss my great friend very dearly.”
I am shocked and heartbroken to learn of the sudden passing of the great American patriot, a great friend of Israel, and my dear friend U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
Senator Graham was a beacon of moral clarity and a true leader of the U.S.-Israel partnership. We will never… pic.twitter.com/tNuV93LXKS
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 12, 2026
Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said “millions of Israelis” would forever remember Graham for standing with the Jewish state even when doing so was unpopular and politically-damaging.
Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote that Graham was “a true friend of the State of Israel and one of its strongest and most steadfast supporters,” and reiterated Herzog’s appreciation for Graham’s determined support in the wake of Oct. 7.
Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan highlighted Graham’s faith, remembering him as “a man who believed, out of Christian faith, that the Jews should return to the Land of Israel.”
“Whoever blesses the people of Israel is blessed, and [Graham] blessed the people of Israel from the bottom of his heart, without ceasing,” noted Dagan.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that Graham was rare in today’s world in that he “was blessed with a clear vision of reality and a true commitment to values. Israel will not forget you, dear friend.”
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