Context:

Lindsey Graham pursued a bold, time-limited strategy to normalize Saudi-Israel relations, aiming to capitalize on shifting regional dynamics after Iran’s weakening and before a new U.S. Congress, with plans to begin intensive diplomacy after Israel’s October elections and the midterms. He envisioned a high-stakes package potentially including a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty and a path toward a Palestinian state, contingent on Republican and Israeli political support. The effort faced major hurdles, including Israel’s right-leaning government and Saudi insistence on irreversible regional terms, and progress depended on a rapid, concerted push that could hinge on a lame-duck session. Graham’s sudden death leaves a void for U.S. foreign policy momentum in the Middle East and the peace process. The approach sought to align regional cohesion with a broader strategy against Tehran and to place the deal within a narrowly defined political window.

Dive Deeper:

• Graham spent years developing a plan to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and believed the opening created by Iran's weakening could give the U.S. a rare brokered opportunity.

• The proposed strategy called for an intensive diplomatic campaign after Israel's October elections and the U.S. midterms, aiming to secure a deal before the new Congress convenes in January, potentially through a revamped defense framework.

• A central component was a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty, whose approval would require two-thirds Senate support, with the lame-duck session viewed as the only realistic window for ratification.

• Saudi officials demanded an irreversible, time-bound path toward a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for the normalization deal, while Netanyahu's government showed limited appetite for a two-state outcome.

• Graham spoke with Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, Saudi envoy Princess Reema bint Bandar, and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and planned trips to Saudi Arabia and Israel to gauge interest in relaunching talks.