\u201cSenator Lindsey Graham dedicated his life in service to our country and was the best friend of the Jewish people and for the cause of liberty in the U.S. Senate,\u201d said RJC national chair Norm Coleman and CEO Matt Brooks in a statement. \u201cWe trust his beloved sister to carry the fight forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who passed away suddenly earlier this month, was a staunch ally of Israel \u2014 so much so that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly shuffled his international travel schedule to attend Graham\u2019s funeral<\/a>services next week. In the Senate, Graham earned a reputation as one of Israel\u2019s most fervent defenders<\/a>, where \u2014 as chair of the State Department appropriations subcommittee \u2014 he backed financial support for Israel\u2019s military and urged the Trump administration to stand by Israel\u2019s side in the wars in Gaza and Iran.<\/p>\n

The RJC plans to honor his legacy<\/a> by dedicating its annual leadership summit, scheduled for next month in Las Vegas, in his honor, and presenting the first annual Lindsey Graham Statesman Award.<\/p>\n

Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the duration of her late brother\u2019s term, announced Monday<\/a> she will run in the special primary election to serve a full six-year term. She has President Donald Trump\u2019s backing.<\/p>\n

But many in South Carolina and Washington alike are still unsure where she falls<\/a> on key political issues. And she has signaled that she might be more interested in domestic policy \u2014 and less on foreign policy \u2014 than her brother was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be like, \u201cLindsey, you\u2019re just talking about national security all the time.\u2019 And I understand that\u2019s important. Protecting our borders, national security, absolutely,\u201d Graham, during a Fox News appearance Monday<\/a>, said she used to tell her brother. \u201cI said, \u2018But talk about also what matters to the average person. The price of groceries, the price of gas, health care, insurance, those kind of things.\u2019 That\u2019s what I\u2019m worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the RJC\u2019s endorsement suggests the country\u2019s leading Jewish Republican organization is confident that she will be a fierce defender of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Coleman, who served with Lindsey Graham in Congress, referenced his old colleague\u2019s words in the RJC\u2019s joint statement to praise his sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Senator Lindsey Graham said of his sister in a 2015 interview, \u2018If she took a role on, she would be a great representative of our country. I can\u2019t think of a better person,\u2019\u201d Coleman and Brooks said. \u201cHe trusted her and her judgment more than anyone else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"