Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recalled a final conversation with the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, during which the senator expressed strong opposition to Netanyahu's idea of gradually ending American military aid to Israel.
Netanyahu recounted the discussion on Sunday, stating that Graham, a staunch supporter of Israel, argued that U.S. aid to the country was also crucial for America's own security. "Because he was so concerned with our security, which he believed was your [America’s] security, that he actually fought the prime minister of Israel on keeping America’s aid or actually increasing it, and that tells you what kind of a person this extraordinary, extraordinary friend was," Netanyahu said.
During their conversation, Netanyahu explained that he told Graham that Israel had matured, possessing a robust economy and the capacity for self-sufficiency. "We can take care of our own — financing our own weapons for the defense of Israel and defense of our common interests with America, so I’m going to phase out… the military support for Israel over a period of years and bring it down to zero. We can do it,'" Netanyahu said.
According to Netanyahu, Graham reacted with strong disagreement, exclaiming, "No way, you can’t do that."
Netanyahu remembered Graham, who passed away recently from a "brief and sudden illness," for his sharp intellect and impactful communication style. "I’m not going to compare him to some others, because there are other people who also share this view, and I think many Americans do, because, look, ultimately, this is a tough world. It’s a cruel world. It is changing rapidly. There are many challenges to America’s leadership in the world, which I think has to be maintained, because without America — I think there would be no liberty in the world, and we’d have a dark age returning and descending on us," Netanyahu stated, adding that Graham understood these challenges.
Netanyahu described his interactions with Graham as "encouraging" and expressed that he would "miss him terribly."