Israel lost “one of its greatest friends,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in an English-language post to X/Twitter on Sunday morning after the announcement of Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham’s death.
Graham’s death was announced by the senator’s office on social media on Sunday.
“Senator Lindsey Graham stood with Israel not because it was easy, but because he believed it was right. His unwavering support, courage, and moral clarity earned him the admiration of millions of Israelis,” Ben-Gvir wrote. “The State of Israel will always remember his friendship, his unwavering support, and his steadfast commitment to Israel’s security.”
Ben-Gvir concluded by sending his condolences to Graham’s family and the American people.
“May his memory be a blessing.”
In his own statement, Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan said that he was “filled with sorrow over the sudden passing of Lindsey Graham,” praising Graham for his love of Israel and idealism.
“He was a true lover of Israel and an idealist. A man who believed, out of Christian faith, that the Jews should return to the Land of Israel, and worked for decades for the State of Israel and strengthening the bond between Israel and the United States,” Dagan said. “Whoever blesses the people of Israel is blessed, and he blessed the people of Israel from the bottom of his heart, without ceasing.”
“Graham did not hesitate to confront anyone, not even the President of the United States, when it came to the security of the State of Israel.”
Dagan noted Graham’s position as a “declared friend of Samaria,” adding that the senator was one of the official hosts of the West Bank conference held in Washington last month.
“The enlightened world has lost a role model, and a great void has opened up in the base of the common camp of the enlightened world on both sides of the ocean,” Dagan concluded. “We will have to – both in the United States and in Israel – work very hard to fill the void that has been created.”