Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that during one of his recent conversations with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a lively discussion arose between them over American military aid to Israel.

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said that he told the senator about Israel’s intention to gradually phase out U.S. military support over the next few years, since the country, in his words, has built a strong economy and is capable of independently meeting its defense needs while protecting shared interests with Washington.

According to the Israeli prime minister, this idea provoked a sharp reaction from Graham. “He said, ‘No way! You can’t do that,’” Netanyahu noted. According to him, the senator considered Israel’s security an integral part of U.S. security and insisted on maintaining, and possibly even increasing, the amount of American aid.

Senator Lindsey Graham died on July 11 at the age of 71. According to preliminary information, the cause of death was complications related to heart disease.