It was a cold, gray morning in Jerusalem in late December 2014, and the Prime Minister's Office was abuzz. The corridors of diplomacy were busier than usual. Israel was still reeling from months of fighting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.
Just months earlier, the framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, obsessively negotiated by US secretary of state John Kerry, had collapsed. As so often happened, much of the international community placed the blame squarely on Israel.
At home, the political landscape was equally unsettled. Earlier that month, the Knesset had dissolved itself, triggering new elections for March 2015.
Yet none of these developments weighed more heavily on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than Iran.
Just weeks before, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, along with Germany known as the P5+1, had gathered in Vienna and appeared on the verge of finalizing what would become the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), better known as the Iran nuclear deal. To Kerry's disappointment, Iran continued to play games, and the negotiations were extended by another seven months.
It was against this backdrop that Sen. Lindsey Graham strode confidently through the glass doors of the Aquarium at the Prime Minister's Office, greeting everyone with a warm smile and an easy confidence. He always reminded me of football legend Barry Sanders, who famously never celebrated his touchdowns because, as he put it, "It's not my first time in, and it won't be my last." There was the same quiet professionalism about Graham. Crossing the foyer, he extended his hand as Prime Minister Netanyahu greeted him warmly: "Welcome back to Jerusalem."
It was hardly his first visit.
Lindsey Graham's steadfast support of Israel
Over decades of public service, Sen. Graham became one of Congress's most frequent visitors to Israel. Combined with Netanyahu's countless trips to Washington, the two had forged a longstanding relationship built on mutual respect and trust. At that critical moment, there was no one the prime minister was more eager to see.
Although the discussion touched on the Palestinian issue, the heart of the meeting was Iran and the urgent need to prevent the regime from forcing a deal that would ultimately allow them to acquire nuclear weapons capability. There was no convincing required from our side of the table. Sen. Graham was already fully aligned with our assessment, and understood better than most, the magnitude of the threat Iran posed not only to Israel but to the broader Middle East and beyond.
After an extended private meeting, we walked into the cabinet room to face the cameras. Graham was measured and diplomatic before the press. Behind closed doors, however, he was considerably more colorful in his choice of words. Regardless of the language he used, the message never changed.
Despite the visible tensions between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government, Sen. Graham made it unmistakably clear that he and many of his colleagues in Congress stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel. They understood that Iran and their terror proxies threatening the "Little Satan" would not stop there. Iran’s ambitions ultimately targeted the "Great Satan" as well.
Standing beside the prime minister, Graham pledged, "We will be following your counsel and advice" on Iran. There was no daylight between them.
That meeting was just one of many we had over the years. While Sen. Graham's public advocacy for Israel is well documented, his quiet diplomacy was, in many ways, even more consequential. Much of his most important work happened far from television cameras and press conferences. Through tireless conversations, persistent lobbying, and unwavering efforts to strengthen Israel's security, his commitment was perhaps best reflected in his oft-repeated conviction: "If America pulls the plug on Israel, God will pull the plug on us."
While many in the pro-Israel camp will rightly remember his leadership on foreign policy and national security, Senator Graham was equally resolute in confronting antisemitism. He stood apart for his uncompromising opposition to such hatred in all its forms and never hesitated to call it out, regardless of where it came from, even within his own party.
He was not a man easily swayed, nor one who abandoned his friends when circumstances became difficult. His convictions on foreign policy were deeply rooted, and his commitment to Israel was unwavering. Israel was unquestionably safer knowing it had a champion like Lindsey Graham in the United States Senate.
His words still resonate today: "I am with you in every way... I will be with Israel until our dying day. They're the best ally we could hope for."
The truth is that Sen. Lindsey Graham was one of the best allies Israel could have hoped for.
Israel is safer because of his steadfast friendship, his moral clarity, and his willingness to stand firm when it mattered most. His passing leaves an enormous void, not only for Israel, but for all who believe that peace is best secured through strength.
The writer is a former chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the author of the book My Brothers Keeper: Netanyahu, Obama, and the Year of Terror & Conflict that Changed the Middle East Forever.