Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a curious personal anecdotal story about his relationship with influential US Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly on July 11, 2026. On the air of the American television channel Fox News, Netanyahu described how he literally enraged Graham by suggesting that Israel possibly refuse billions of dollars in US military aid.
According to Netanyahu, the reaction of the senator from South Carolina was extremely violent, as he saw American funding as a fundamental pillar for the security of Israel and the free world.
„We have a strong economy, we can “Themselves“: The Conversation That Angered Graham
During his interview, Netanyahu shared details from one of his last conversations with Graham, who was among the closest foreign policy allies of current US President Donald Trump. The Israeli prime minister told him that the Jewish state was now “mature“ and had a sufficiently stable and powerful economy to be completely self-sufficient.
“I told him: 'Lindsey, we can take care of ourselves. We can finance the weapons for the defense of Israel and for the protection of our common interests with America. That is why I intend to gradually reduce American military support in the coming years and bring it to zero. We can do it'“, Netanyahu said.
However, the reaction of the American politician was immediate and uncompromising. „He got mad. He said to me: 'There's no way, you can't do this'“, the Israeli prime minister said. Graham was so concerned about the security of the Middle Eastern ally that he was ready to enter into a direct dispute with the country's prime minister to defend and even increase American defense subsidies, including for anti-missile systems such as „Iron Dome“.
Timeline of the debates over American aid
This diplomatic clash actually has its own history and reflects deeper processes in the relationship between the two countries:
- January 2026: Netanyahu announced publicly for the first time that Israel was seeking to end its dependence on American military aid within a decade. In response, Graham, who chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, said he welcomed Israel's economic boom and suggested that the aid cutoff schedule be accelerated so that the billions saved by American taxpayers could be channeled back into the US military.
- June 2026: The Israeli Prime Minister confirmed to CBS News his intention to reduce the financial component of bilateral military cooperation to zero.
- July 2026 (present moment): After the senator's death, it became clear that behind the scenes Graham had actually strongly resisted the rapid termination of the current Memorandum of Understanding, which guarantees Israel $3.8 billion per year until 2028. The late politician preferred to maintain strong American influence and support in the region.
Israel in shock after Graham's death, Netanyahu travels to the United States
The sudden death of Lindsey Graham at the age of 71 caused serious turmoil in the US Congress and plunged the political elite in Jerusalem into grief. Israeli leaders – including President Yitzhak Herzog and Defense Minister Israel Katz - unanimously honored him as one of the greatest and steadfast friends of the Jewish people in Washington.
According to information from The Times of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is seriously considering to travel urgently and personally to South Carolina to attend the senator's funeral. Sources in the prime minister’s office said that if the visit goes ahead, Netanyahu would use the opportunity in Washington to arrange a key official meeting with President Donald Trump in the coming weeks. Relations between the two countries remain strained as the debate over moving from direct financial aid to a model of joint military production has yet to be resolved by the Trump administration.