Remembering Lindsey Graham: A Friend of Israel Who Believed in America

South Carolina’s Senator Lindsey Graham died on Saturday at the age of seventy-one. In addition to his public service as a legislator, Graham had a long and distinguished career in the air force and national guard. During his twenty-three years in the Senate, he became one of Israel’s best friends on Capitol Hill, and reportedly was involved in efforts to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords in the final weeks of his life. His support for the Jewish state was about more than sentiment: Graham believed that America was a force for good in the world that could and should simultaneously defend its allies, its interests, and its values—with military might if necessary. The same worldview made him a staunch defender of Ukraine, which, like Israel, fought America’s enemies with determination, sacrifice, and ingenuity.