Israel loses a friend in Congress: Rep. Kay Granger dies, 83 - opinion

The United States Congress has lost a significant advocate for Israel with the recent passing of Representative Kay Granger at the age of 83. A trailblazing Republican from Texas, Granger served 14 terms, representing her district for 28 years across five presidential administrations.

Granger's tenure was marked by her leadership roles, including becoming the first woman from her party to chair the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. Earlier, as chair of the House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, she oversaw the allocation of U.S. State Department and foreign aid funding.

She played a pivotal role in securing a landmark $38 billion, ten-year military aid package for Israel in 2016, which included F-35 fighter jets manufactured in her home district. Throughout her congressional career, Granger consistently championed full funding for Israel's security and defense requirements.

Before entering Congress in 1996, Granger served four years as the mayor of Fort Worth. Her election to Congress ended a century-long Democratic hold on her district, and she was reelected 13 times. Her influence extended to steering federal funds toward Texas-based defense companies like Lockheed Martin and Bell Textron, many of which collaborated with Israeli defense contractors.

The author recalls a personal encounter with Granger about 25 years ago, discussing the potential benefits of Texas establishing a state foreign export and direct investment promotion office in Israel. Granger expressed interest in the initiative, which aimed to boost the Texas economy by leveraging Israel as a strategic Middle Eastern location.