Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who died this month at age 71, privately partnered with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rally a bipartisan group of lawmakers to condemn the International Criminal Court’s investigation targeting Netanyahu shortly before the 2024 election, according to leaked footage of their conversations.
The discussions were part of roughly 400 hours of recordings made by British filmmaker Alex Holder, who followed Graham for about four years for a planned documentary titled “Lindsey’s Game.” The New York Times reviewed excerpts of two conversations between Graham and Netanyahu in which they plotted to rebuke the ICC.
The calls occurred on October 29, just days before the 2024 election, while Graham was campaigning in Ohio with Donald Trump Jr. and Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Holder said.
These exchanges illustrate the depth of Graham’s and Netanyahu’s relationship and its broader influence, especially with fellow legislators. The two men were only days away from a potential return of Donald J. Trump to the White House. Graham had long been a key interlocutor for Netanyahu, but this call came as the prime minister prepared to discuss a widening conflict with Iran with Trump.
Netanyahu attended Graham’s funeral in Washington on Tuesday and also met with Trump to discuss the escalating war with Iran, a challenge that is increasingly pressing for the incoming administration.
Netanyahu remains subject to an ICC arrest warrant, which Israeli officials have dismissed as politically motivated. He has continued foreign travel since the warrant was issued and is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Former President Trump has vowed not to allow Netanyahu’s arrest, despite Chicago Mayor Zohran Mamdani labeling Netanyahu a war criminal and examining whether city officials could take action. Mamdani later concluded that no such authority existed.
In the first recorded video call, Graham is heard speaking with Netanyahu, whose voice is sometimes distorted. Netanyahu clearly discusses the ICC’s pending decision on an arrest warrant recommended earlier in 2024 by Chief Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan.
Netanyahu told Graham that a three‑judge panel would soon decide and suggested that allegations of sexual misconduct against Khan could delay the warrant. “The great cloud that it shed” might be used to argue for a review, he said. Khan was removed from his position last week by the court’s oversight body.
He added that Israel might need to appeal the court to halt the warrant until “the cloud is lifted.” Netanyahu proposed sending a letter, possibly co‑signed by other senators, to express these concerns.
When Graham suggested House Speaker Mike Johnson as a “perfect person” to sign such a letter, Netanyahu asked, “Would he get Democrats?” Graham pledged to pursue a bipartisan approach.
Holder also captured an audio‑only follow‑up call that same day, featuring only Graham’s voice. In it, Graham joked that Netanyahu should “pay me for all this. I should get tons of shekels,” saying it would take “more than dinner” to compensate.
Graham then said that “we got them both,” referring to Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ben Cardin of Maryland, who later signed the protest letter.
He explained that the goal was to have the letter released by the following day, October 30, and asked Netanyahu to provide the exact wording. The intended message to the ICC consisted of two points: first, that prosecutors should consult the Israeli government and wait until the chief prosecutor’s own controversies were resolved; second, that the ICC had failed to comply with legal procedures by meeting Israeli representatives after applying for the warrant.
The letter, issued on November 1, 2024, was signed by Blumenthal, Cardin and others. It reiterated concerns about Khan’s conduct and accused the ICC of procedural irregularities.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu declined to comment on the recordings. Neither Blumenthal nor Cardin responded to requests for comment.