Lindsey Graham Helps Netanyahu Delay ICC Arrest Warrant, Reveals NYT

Newly released recordings published by The New York Times reveal behind-the-scenes coordination between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and influential U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in late 2024 to obstruct an impending arrest warrant against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The conversations, recorded as part of a British documentary project following Graham, show Netanyahu discussing the expected ICC decision and suggesting leveraging allegations of misconduct against the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to delay the warrant.

Netanyahu proposed that a bipartisan letter from U.S. lawmakers could prompt the ICC to reconsider the process before issuing the arrest warrant. Graham agreed to help draft and rally support for the letter, suggesting House Speaker Mike Johnson as an ideal signatory. During a follow-up call, Graham joked that Netanyahu "should pay me a lot of money" for his assistance, indicating the effort would require more than a dinner.

Graham secured backing from two Democratic senators, and Netanyahu was advised to personally thank them and express interest in advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia. The bipartisan letter was published days after their discussions. Netanyahu attended Graham's funeral in Washington on July 28, 2026, shortly before the recordings were made public.

The revelations highlight the close cooperation between the Israeli leader and the American senator to influence international legal proceedings. The material comes from approximately 400 hours of footage collected by director Alex Holder over four years for the documentary "Lindsey's Game."