Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday in Israel, sharing his concerns about the nuclear threat from Iran.
“Senator Graham believes that America has no better friend than Israel,” a statement on the meeting from Graham spokeswoman Taylor Reidy said. “He has never been more worried about an Iranian nuclear breakout than right now. He conveyed the following to the Prime Minister: Do what you have to do to prevent the Iranian ayatollah from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.”
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Graham also met with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who posted about the meeting on X.
Held an important meeting with Senator @LindseyGrahamSC – a true friend of Israel. He makes tremendous efforts to further deepen U.S.-Israel ties, strengthen Israel’s regional standing, and support Israel’s security in the face of threats posed by Iran and its proxies.
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) November 17, 2024
“We discussed the importance of capitalizing on time-sensitive opportunities to secure agreements that will strengthen Israel and her regional partners, while weakening Iran,” Gallant said. “This includes an agreement that will ensure the return of 101 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.”
President-elect Donald Trump has named former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Trump will soon take office as Israel is managing multiple conflicts along its borders.
Graham believes that a nuclear-armed Iranian ayatollah is an existential threat to Israel, according to the readout, and would be a “nightmare for the world.” He last visited Israel in October, shortly before a Hezbollah attack on an army base killed four Israeli soldiers and injured 60 others, and says strong military action against Iran will be needed in order to stabilize the region.
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“The Iranian ayatollah constantly refers to the United States as the ‘Great Satan,’” the readout from Saturday’s meeting said. “It is in America’s interest to ensure the Iranian regime does not possess a nuclear weapon. This is a critical and dangerous moment for our friends in Israel and the world at large.”
Graham believes that the U.S. must be seen and heard as having Israel’s back against the threat from Iran. He previously urged Israel to “hit Iran hard to regain deterrence.”