US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), speaking in the Dirksen Senate office building in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2025. Photo: IMAGO/MediaPunch via Reuters Connect

Pro-Israel organizations and leaders of the American Jewish community have begun to assess the impact of the sudden death of US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Israel’s most stalwart allies in Congress, amid mounting concern over eroding support for the Jewish state within the Republican Party.

Graham, 71, died on Saturday night in Washington, DC, after what his office described as a brief and sudden illness. Preliminary findings released by the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia attributed his death to an aortic dissection. First elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham was a dominant voice on national security, judicial nominations, and foreign policy, a trusted confidant of US President Donald Trump, and among the most strident defenders of Israel in the federal government, repeatedly lobbying the White House to expand US military assistance to the Jewish state.

Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, praised Graham as a “devoted friend of the Jewish people, a firm believer in the importance of the America-Israel relationship, and a true public servant in every sense of the word.”

Similar tributes poured in from across the pro-Israel world. The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), which works to strengthen ties between the Republican Party and the Jewish community, said Graham “understood that when America leads with resolve and strength, the world is safer, our allies are more secure, and those who wish us harm think twice.” The World Jewish Congress, in a separate statement, credited the late senator with “moral clarity” on antisemitism and Israel.

Graham used his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees federal spending, to champion US assistance to Israel, including funding for the joint Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile defense programs, arguing they were critical to defending against rocket and missile threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. He described the Iranian regime as a major threat to both Israel and the stability of the Middle East, advocated US strikes on Iran as early as 2010, and urged the Trump administration to join the recent war against Tehran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

He was also a legislative foe of the so-called “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward the Jewish state’s eventual elimination. In 2017, Graham was a principal Republican sponsor of the Senate version of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which sought to amend US export laws to discourage American companies from participating in boycotts of Israel, and he later advanced the Combating BDS Act, clarifying that state and local governments could penalize companies that boycott the Jewish state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, recalled that Graham would astonish him during foreign aid deliberations by “outbidding the Prime Minister of Israel.”

“Israel has lost one of the great champions of the American-Israeli alliance,” Netanyahu said.

Graham’s death comes amid growing tension between Israel and the Republican voting base. Polls show the Jewish state’s standing among GOP voters has steadily deteriorated since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, with a series of surveys finding that a majority of Republicans under 30 hold unfavorable views of Israel. In the nearly three years since the Hamas-led massacres across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, anti-Jewish voices have grown more powerful within the conservative movement. Popular pundits such as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Theo Von have made hostility to Israel a recurring feature of their widely watched programs, while the antisemitic “Groyper” movement, spearheaded by content creator Nick Fuentes, has gained influence among young conservatives.

Observers say those shifting political winds have encouraged some prominent Republicans to engage with or indulge antisemitism. US Vice President JD Vance has faced criticism from high-profile conservative Jews over his close relationship with Carlson and has declined on multiple occasions to push back against characterizations of Israel’s defensive operations in Gaza and Lebanon as “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide.” Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) have both accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, and their continued popularity among younger conservatives suggests anti-Israel rhetoric could become an asset in future campaigns.

The pressure reached Graham’s own backyard last month, when he defeated Mark Lynch, a local businessman who ran an “America First” primary campaign centered on cutting aid to foreign allies such as Israel. Graham won by 22 points — a markedly narrower margin than his roughly 50-point primary victory in 2020 — and some pro-Israel advocates now fear his seat could fall to a candidate hostile to the Jewish state.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) on Monday appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve out the remainder of his term, following a public recommendation from Trump. Under state law, a special Republican primary will be held on Aug. 11 to select a replacement nominee for the Nov. 3 general election, with candidate filing open from July 21 to July 28. A spokesperson for Lynch confirmed he plans to enter the race, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) is reportedly weighing a bid, and members of the pro-Israel community have pressed Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the UN and ex-governor of South Carolina, to run — though a spokesperson said she has no plans to seek the seat.