According to common belief, Israeli leaders and voters have long viewed Washington as crucial for their country's survival. However, experts suggest that Israel may now have achieved a level of independence from the United States, despite still benefiting from US assistance. Vipin Narang, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that Israel appears to be moving towards greater autonomy. Israel no longer relies on US security guarantees for protection from neighboring states as it has mostly made peace with them. It also does not see the need for American mediation in the Palestinian conflict, which Israelis support maintaining as it is. Israel used to depend on US arms transfers but now produces many essential weapons domestically. It has also become more self-sufficient diplomatically, forming alliances independent of Washington. Israelis are less concerned with gaining US approval culturally and put less pressure on their leaders to maintain good relations with Washington. US aid to Israel has remained high in absolute terms, but Israel's economic growth over the years has made the country less dependent on it. In 1981, US aid made up nearly 10% of Israel's economy, but in 2020, it was only around 1%. The US government's diminishing influence in the conflict was evident when it called for a cease-fire after an Egyptian-brokered agreement was almost finalized, and Israeli leaders had achieved their military objectives in a ten-day conflict with Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be visiting the region this week, but has stated that he does not plan to restart formal Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The shift is occurring as a segment of Democrats and liberal activists, who are upset by Israel's treatment of Palestinians and attacks on Gaza, are questioning the longstanding consensus on Israel in Washington. Despite this, there is still a notable level of American support for Israel, albeit diminishing, and Democratic leaders have not fully embraced their constituents' increasing backing of the Palestinians. The US still holds influence over Israel due to its provision of arms and diplomatic backing, as seen during Donald Trump's strong support for the Israeli government. However, this leverage may be weakening to the point where Israel may act independently regardless of bipartisan agreements. Steps towards becoming self-sufficient in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been taken over the past 15 years. The Second Intifada, characterized by violence such as Israeli tanks in Palestinian towns and bombings in Israeli cafes, is now in the past. Israel has made changes to the conflict that its citizens and leaders can tolerate, with lower levels of violence in the West Bank and even less in Israel itself. While there have been occasional outbreaks of fighting with Gaza-based groups, Israel has managed to shift much of the burden onto Gazans. The ratio of conflict deaths between Palestinians and Israelis has shifted from 3-to-1 to 20-to-1. Many Israelis have lost faith in the peace process and see periodic fighting as the best option. The occupation remains a heavy burden for Palestinians, but most Jewish Israelis are able to ignore it. Yaël Mizrahi-Arnaud, a research fellow at an Israeli think tank, noted that Israelis have grown comfortable with this situation and are willing to accept the costs. Israel is able to maintain this status quo without much assistance from outside sources. In previous years, Israel heavily relied on US-made military equipment like warplanes and high-end gear, which needed approval from Congress and the White House. However, now Israel has shifted to using missile defense technology that is mostly produced and maintained domestically, showcasing their determination for self-sufficiency. Despite initial skepticism, the effectiveness of Israel's missile defense system against short-range rockets and ballistic missiles has surprised many experts. While the system was initially supported by heavy US funding during President Obama's tenure, it now operates at a cost of $50,000 per interceptor. Israel's pursuit of military autonomy began in the 1990s, influenced by strained relations with the George HW Bush administration and the belief that American support may not always be guaranteed. This belief was strengthened during the terms of subsequent presidents, as their efforts to make peace with the Palestinians clashed with Israeli desires to maintain control of the West Bank and impose strict blockades on Gaza. As a result, Israel has pursued independent capabilities to reduce vulnerability to US pressure, including independent intelligence gathering. Israel has achieved this goal, according to Narang. Israel no longer heavily relies on US protection for another existential threat: international isolation. In the past, Israel sought acceptance from Western democracies that required it to meet democratic standards, but now Israel is facing a more favorable international environment. Powers that were once considered "anti-imperialist" and posed a challenge to Israel have now shifted their focus. While global opinions towards Israel vary, with predominantly negative views in Muslim-majority regions, Israel has strengthened relationships in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Even neighboring Arab countries like Jordan and Egypt, once fierce adversaries, are now pursuing peace, while tensions have eased with other Arab states. The Abraham Accords, facilitated during the Trump administration, led to the normalization of relations between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Israel also established normalized relations with Morocco and reached a diplomatic agreement with Sudan. Israeli political analyst and pollster Dahlia Scheindlin noted that there was once talk of an impending diplomatic crisis, but it never came to fruition. Scheindlin conducts an annual poll where Israelis rank national challenges, with security and the economy consistently being top priorities while foreign relations have fallen to the bottom of the list. European diplomats issue warnings that never materialize, Democrats discuss the future of the alliance, but according to the speaker, Israelis believe their international reputation is strong. Israel has also strived for autonomy in diplomacy, distancing itself from the US. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even indirectly opposed Obama's reelection due to his Middle East policies, causing a rift in relations. Netanyahu has since built relationships with authoritarian democracies like Brazil, Hungary, and India, who admire Israel's treatment of Palestinians. This approach, dubbed the "other friends policy" by Scheindlin, has led Israelis to no longer see US approval as essential for their survival. Rising nationalism has led to a greater willingness to ignore international criticism, diminishing the importance of Washington's support for Israel's democratic credentials. Despite the traditional belief in Israel that one of the prime minister's main responsibilities is to maintain bipartisan support from the US, Netanyahu faced little political backlash at home for aligning with Republicans and criticizing Obama. Americans elected Trump, who showed more favoritism towards Netanyahu than any other president before him. This has led to a feeling of confidence among Israelis, who believe they can navigate any tensions in the relationship. Recent focus groups have shown that Israelis no longer worry about backlash from American leaders, as they see it as just a part of dealing with America. Many Israelis have lost faith in the peace process, considering it doomed and of low priority. This shift in attitude changes the relationship with the US, as Israeli leaders no longer feel pressured to engage in peace talks and can now pursue policies like expanding settlements in the West Bank without needing to please the Americans. Israel is not the first small state to seek independence from a powerful ally, but in this case, it was the Americans who helped Israel build up its military and diplomatic independence, thus weakening their own influence. After close to 50 years of not using this leverage to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it may soon be completely gone. Israel now feels emboldened to act without consequences, as the United States has not pressured them in recent memory.